Uncovered
by Uchiha Yumi
Summary: There’s a moment in your life when you understand you can’t stand the pain any more. What would you do, then? Is escaping really a good idea? [ItaHina]
1. Of Glass and Steel

**Author:** Uchiha Yumi

**Title: **Uncovered

**Genre:** General / Romance

**Summary: **There's a moment in your life when you understand you can't stand the pain no more. What would you do, then? Is escaping really a good idea? ItaHina

**Rating:** PG13 / R

**Parings**: Itachi x Hinata

**Main Characters: ** Uchiha Itachi, Hyuuga Hinata

**Special thanks:** A special thank to Lilya-chan and FunnyNeko, for reading and correcting all of my nasty stuff.

**Notes:** English is not my native tongue, so please, tell me about my mistakes!  
I don't like this fic too much! But I decided to publish it anyway! '

Well, then…NEWS:  
I almost reached 2000 hits for my ItaSaku, "A Jail of Crystal" and, even if I have been publishing here just since September , even my other fics are going very well.  
So, I just wanted to celebrate, somehow…

Could anyone of you draw something for me about my fics?  
I could write you something, or dedicate to you some of my future works.  
If you want, write me on my e-mail address!

A/N: A BIG, BIG, BIG "THANK YOU!" TO DEARX, MY NEW MOTHER-TONGUE BETA!

Uncovered

Chapter 1 : Of glass and silver

She would never look back.

Hinata was sure of it.

She had always been the weak, the submissive, the shy one.

The beautiful gentle princess doomed to spend all of her life trapped in a huge castle, waiting for her wintry father to provide her someone to marry and to procreate with.

She was the flower, the nightingale. But she had no time to bloom or chance to sing.

She experienced the pain of being rejected, refused.

She learnt how to suffocate tears with the iciness of silence.

She had to bear her sorrow when she was told she was going to marry her cousin, Neji, in order to provide the rich, noble, Hyuuga family a worthy heir – or, at least, worthier than she had ever been.

So, she just looked out of the window, living her plain and planned life as if it was reflected in a dark mirror: it was all indistinct, confused. She could follow and trace the edges of things, but she never managed to understand them wholly.

But you know, a mirror is just a thin shield of glass and silver, as frail as her numbed soul was.

And fragile things are not meant to last forever.

Not at all.

Hinata's mirror got fractured the day she knew Naruto had been killed and the murderer had not been found. Her world completly shattered the moment she figured out that no one in the village – not even her important, noble and skilled family. No one really cared about that crime, nor tried to avenge it.

And her little, tiny mind was crushed along with that. Making a small, evanescent fragments of anger and sorrow scatter all around her helpless soul, tainted with darkness and cruelty, the former pureness of her aristocratic being was destroyed.

So she decided.

She freed herself from the chains and escaped. Leaving that hideous castle of great expectations and imposed manners behind.

And now here she was, wrapped in a long, black coat she had stolen from a nearby store, leisurely walking down the path that lead out of the village.


	2. Ask and Answer

Chapter 2: Ask and Answer

Following him had been quite simple.

In fact, even if her Byakugan wasn't as good and polished as her cousin's, sensing and stalking a man through bushes and trees wasn't much of an effort.

She quickly found herself sneaking into a dark, filthy place. Carefully crawling down an intricate labyrinth of rooms and corridors which, in the utter obscurity of the night – and the confusion of her weakened mind – looked exactly alike, providing her the feeling of walking around in circles and reminding her a lot of the captivated life she had been forced to live up until then.

And it was irritating.

Deeply irritating.

So hellishly annoying she almost felt the last hints of her strained patience trembling and vibrating, shaking her body and dragging her on the edge of breaking down.

The anger.

That new, tempting emotion that was irremediably staining her soul, running through her veins and lingering about her heart, smothering its warmth like the freezing breeze blowing on the snowy heights.

She could feel it.

Sense it completely.

So completely she lost the grip on reality, sinking down in the freshness of that sensation and totally failing to notice the tall, black-haired, dark-clothed boy that was tracking her steps and silently guiding her into the darkest room of that place.

When she heard a heavy, metallic door being locked behind her. She almost stopped dead, her heart jumping in her chest.

"Who are you?" she asked hoarsely, trying to muffle her angst.

No voice answered her.

She sighed, turning on her Byakugan "There's no point in hiding. I can sense you." She said, internally cursing on her statement. She was in their hideout; she was the one hiding. Definitely not one of them.

Still no voice, just her own words echoing in the hollow room.

She felt herself trembling.

For the first time since she left the village, she felt scared.

Her breath became heavy, her motions never deep enough to fill her lungs.

"WHO ARE YOU!" she yelled, half in anger and half in fear.

"Quite strange," A soft, male voice replied, evident hints of mockery in his tone. "You followed me around all day long, and now you're asking 'Who are you?'. Shouldn't I be the one to ask such a question?"

Hinata's blood froze, leaving her completely breathless.

It was him.

"Uchiha Itachi" she stated, abruptly turning around to face her interlocutor.

"Hyuuga Hinata" – he said, his bloody eyes cuddling her slender figure. "Nice to make your acquaintance"

A long rough laugh escaped through her lips, filling the filthy air of that place.

"Acquaintance? I already know about you much more than I'll ever wanted to. That's enough for me."

"Mmmmhhhh…You've become pretty harsh…Why did you betray the village?"

She lowered her head, sadness and rage corrugating her forehead and darkening her eyes.

"That's none of your business…"

"Why not? You're buried in the depths of my hideaway. It's not convenient for you to disobey me."

"I spent 18 years of my life obeying to stupid orders. I won't let it happen again. Not even once. And I really don't mind if you're a S-ranked criminal or a backstreet beggar…"

"I like strong girls…" he whispered slowly to himself. Quite amused by her.

But I actually don't like you" she cut him off, dryly.

An icy silence spread throughout the room, the slight sound of their breaths slowly melting in that dreadful lack of words.

"Why did you stalk me?" he said. There was no more mockery in his voice.

It was plain, and wintry, and toneless, every single letter sounding like heavy chains dragged on a stone floor.

Hinata felt like hearing the Devil.

"I want to join Akatsuki" she answered dryly.

"Why?"

"I don't know - she replied, her hands up in an helpless gesture – And I don't think I have much of choice, since I left the village. You seek power. So do I. You live to break the rules. And I want to learn."

Itachi was fast.

Absurdly fast.

In a blink of an eye he pinned her against the wall, his hot breath warming her pale neck.

"You're not suited for this organization – he whispered into her ear – we're monsters. Murderers. We don't mind to violate every law, not even in heaven or in hell. Our hands are stained with blood. Our ears are filled with cries. Our eyes are blinded by the corpses of all the people we killed and the souls that we cursed. There's no room for you, my little fairy"

Hinata slightly closed her eyes, smirking. Her previous fear had now been replaced with a sense of calm and peacefulness. She was walking down a black, vague path, but she wasn't afraid at all.

A miserable past to erase and no future to hunt for... She had really nothing to lose.

"I'm not a fairy anymore" she replied, a sinister smile on her face.

Uchiha Itachi smiled back "Then show me you've lost your wings"

Hinata frowned "How?"

He leant forward, his red eyes piercing her white ones " Let me play with you a little..."


	3. The game we used to play

A/N: Well, I hope you will read this before "enjoying" the new chapter.

Ok, I'd like to tell you something about the story.

Originally, it was meant to end HERE, but, somehow, I found myself writing some more (as it happened for "A Jail of Crystal") and, actually, I'm working on chapter 11.

But, truth to be told, in the next chapter the tension will reduce a bit.

My question is: are you willing to follow me along a quite long story, or should I end this here?

Let me know.

Hugs and kisses.

Ps: I'm willing to update every 10 ten days, but you can consider that as a "Christmas Present".

Chapter 3: The game we used to play

Cry. Hinata felt the sudden urge to break down and cry as loud as she could.

The sadness of her present situation hit her feverishly, showing her how, trying to free herself from golden chains, she only managed to tie herself up even more.

Sharp analysis, rational thoughts.

There always must be a way to get out from a bad condition.

Always…but…

How was it possible to escape when Uchiha Itachi is pressing you against a soiled wall in Akatsuki's hideout?

How was it possible to force your limbs to move when a man is licking and biting your neck?

_'Rational thoughts, my ass' _was the only coherent consideration that passed through Hinata's mind.

"Let go" she said, looking at him in the eyes.

"Why should I have to?" he replied, placing an open-mouthed kiss on the sensitive skin of her throat.

"Let go of me!" she continued, a vague tremor in her voice betraying her attempt to smother a moan.

Itachi smirked, noticing her tentativeness "No, I don't want to. I've not played enough yet…"

Hinata shivered as she heard herself panting. "LET GO OF ME!" she said, desperation seeping through her trembling voice.

"What if I don't?"

"I'll bite you"

"I like it…"

"I'll scratch you…"

"I'll lick away my blood and then I'll kiss your lips to let you taste me wholly…"

Hinata pouted, her gaze full of displeasure and anger "You're a monster…"

"I know…"

"You disgust me…"

"Thanks…Are you already trying to praise me?"

"I AM NOT PRAISING YOU!" Hinata shouted, her tiny voice echoing in the room.

"Why are you yelling, then?"

Hinata froze at his statement.

Why was she yelling if she really wasn't praising him?

And why was she feeling so disgusted by the ministrations of a beautiful man if she would have to face death and blood and crime?

Maybe she really wasn't suited…

_'Chill out, Hinata! Stop talking nonsense! If you want to achieve something, stop caring about the path you have to follow…'_

But what was she trying to achieve? She really didn't know.

But the bare thought of freeing herself from her family, was already tempting enough to give her a good reason to go on.

"And what if I really praised you?" she suddenly replied, a glint of victory sparkling in her eyes.

"And what if I'm going to have my way with you right here and right now?"

And Hinata felt it clearly.

No more worry, no more fear.

Just the overwhelming will to win.

"Go on, then…Are you waiting for me to give you a written invitation?"

Itachi smirked, then pressed her furiously against the wall, his pelvis brushing against her entrance.

Her eyes suddenly flew open.

She usually was a smart player, able to predict some of her opponent's movements.

But how could she predict an instable monster?

She had never imagined he would have maintained his "promise".

So, was he really going to fuck her?

Was she really going to be his slave?

"You're regretting, my little fairy?"

But she couldn't lose.

Not again.

Not to him.

"It's no regret. It's just _desire_."

He chuckled a little, pressing a bit harder against her.

She almost cried.

"Well then…You won."

And then he disappeared.


	4. Just a tiny line on steel

Oh my, my!

I promised you that I would have updated every 10 days, right?

So, how it happened that I'm sending Chapter after just a week?

Mystery… ;P Am I trying to make you forgive me for a future long absence ?

Just kidding, I'm really trying to be punctual with my updates, but some of your reviews just made me feel like anticipating a bit…

Well, this is more an Hinata-centric chapter. (The can't stay stuck together 24/7, can they?)

Chapter 5 will be slight different.

Dedicated to:

Malitia, for her reviews really are great!

Juliagulia1017, for the same reason (they both are quite fond readers of my stuff, I guess…. ')

Cagalli Yula Athha Fangirl, for she actually was the first one in my entire life to thank me for my work.

Still want me to keep it up?

Let me know, please!

Chapter 4: Just a tiny line on steel.

A/N: I decided to turn Deidara into a girl, because it suited my "writing-intentions"! '

She spent the night in their hideout.

After Uchiha Itachi left, she hadn't seen him.

It had been Sasori who came and guided her along that soiled labyrinth until they found a small, dark room containing a bed covered with a green blanket.

"You're lucky" Sasori had said before leaving her alone "We usually kill people who manage to enter this place. But _he_ ordered not to touch you."

_He_…

So Uchiha Itachi had placed her under his "protection".

Well, rationally thinking it was pretty good.

The idea of those criminal's hands reaching her young body was something she really couldn't have born.

But, sometimes when a problem disappears, a huger one comes in sight, inducing you to regret your choices.

It was true, Akatsuki's members weren't allowed to lay a finger on her body, nor to harass her mind. But…who could save her from _him_?

The morning after her dreamless slumber had been interrupted by Deidara's cold hands shaking her body. Hinata just blinked a couple of times, rubbing her temples.

She wasn't afraid, nor scared, or worried. She already sacrificed everything in her previous life. 

There really couldn't have been something worse.

"Here we are." – Deidara said, tossing her a small paper-bag and throwing a glance at her. "Some clothes for you. You can wear your coat, but _those_ really don't fit you, right now."

_'Those?'_ Hyuuga Hinata gazed at the clothes she was wearing. Well, Deidara was right.

Konoha's Chuunin's uniform really wasn't the most appropriate choice.

The utter silence filled the room as she quickly began to undress herself, not caring about Deidara watching her.

Her garments scattered on the floor, messily joining the filthiness of the room.

"What is that?" the older lady suddenly asked, noticing big, red marks all over Hinata's pale skin.

"What?" the other replied, frowning.

"Those marks" Deidara answered, pointing at her abdomen.

Hinata just chuckled a little, absentmindedly rubbing a hand down her stomach

"Those?" she said, pausing from buttoning the black shirt they gently "provided" her ."They're just the gifts my father used to give me whenever I disobeyed him. Or whenever he was too angry about my clumsiness."

Deidara just nodded. Hinata shrugged, then reached the back of her neck to untie her forehead protector and throw it too, since it obviously wasn't useful anymore.

"Don't" the blonde girl said, her hands forgetfully dipped in her coat's pockets, looking for something.

"Huh?" Hinata replied, raising a brow.

"Don't throw it." Deidara pulled out from her left pocket a sharp, tiny knife and tossed it to the black-haired girl. "Just scratch it."

The Hyuuga girl nodded, staring at Konoha's symbol for a long moment.

It had been her life, her pride, her honour, her job, her only chance to live and prove she was worthy enough. Now it was only a small leaf traced on a steel shield reminding her about how hard it had been to be accepted.

She sighed, then her right hand traced a long line on the metal surface, cutting the sign in two.

Cutting her life in two.

Now her previous life was definitely behind her shoulders.

A small, tiny line on steel. A huge, irreparable crack in her life.

She violently shook her head, returning the blade to its rightful owner.

Deidara faintly smiled, reaching the door.

"Well. I'll wait you downstairs. The others want to meet you"


	5. Acquaintances

Here I am.

PUBLIC ANOUNCEMENT SERVICE 1

Ten days, I said? Geez…you just sent me 15 reviews in 6 days!

How can I wait other 96, long hours?

Anyway, I actually reached 37 reviews and over 1500 hits.

Thank you so much! ;P Are you willing to make me reach 2000 hits and 50 reviews before I update chapter 6? JUST KIDDING!

I'd also like to thank those who read my other ItaHina "Ten words to one kiss".

I'm really glad that story turned out to be successful!

Some news: maybe, in the future, I'll slow down the updates, since I'm actually busy with school and with a new, interesting challenge concerning "our great lord Itachi" and someone else.

Stay tuned to learn more.

I'm actually working on chapter 16 of this story and I have a bit of lack of inspiration. But I guess I'll solve it, don't worry!

Well, this chapter is what I like to call "the general part" of my story.

And yes, this IS slightly humorous.

Chapter 6 will be a little "uneventful", since it concerns Hinata's thoughts. From on now, the story will go for "snapshots", so the situations may change a bit – and Hinata's and Itachi's mood, too.

Hope I won't disappoint you..

Dedicated to Kai, Méli and Tsukiko. They know who they are, don't worry!

PUBLIC ANOUNCEMENT SERVICE 2

BLEACH CONTEST

The Renji/Tatsuki C2 community "Moonbeams of fire" is holding a challenge-contest !

To those who want to join, here's what we require:

- theme "We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars" (Oscar Wilde)

The sentence does not have to appear in the story – however, the story must have a connection to the sentence's meaning.

- The fiction must be between 500 and 2000 words.

- All entries must be e-mailed to the C2 community moderator ( Lilya) or a member of the staff (Uchiha Yumi) – our e-mail addresses are shown in our profiles. This doesn't stop you from publish them, but stories on published and not e-mailed won't be considered.

I know this sounds harsh, but, although Bleach is still a pretty small fandom, we don't want to risk missing anything.

- All entries will be read by the C2 community staff and moderator, who will judge them according to the following criteria:

sticking to the theme

style

pairing development

originality

Each of the above point will be individually graded from 1 to 10 by the three of us – the story that gets the highest score wins

- what do you win?

Basically, we will write a story of your choice.

How very original, isn't it? Oh, well….

I think the Author note is actually longer than the chapter – well I hope you'll like nonetheless… and that you'll join the contest.

Feel free to e-mail us for any doubt/question/etc.

Sorry, here I go with the chapter.

**Chapter 5: Acquaintances **

Reaching the place where "the others" were waiting for her hadn't been too difficult.

The stairs Deidara mentioned were quite big and visible, and leaded to a huge, light room.

Hinata didn't know what time it was exactly, but she could tell by the birds cheerfully chirping it should have been pretty early in the morning.

The "Akatsuki's hideout meeting room" was something very similar to a big, informal living-room; a couple of soft, dark-blue couches were placed against the walls, a small television with a video-recorder on a small table in the centre.

Sasori was sitting on one of the sofas, reading a book and absentmindedly zapping on TV channels.

"Sit down" he said, without stopping his activities.

Hinata blinked, then cleared her throat "Where?"

"There" he answered, no motion to convey his words.

Hinata tilted her head "Sorry to bother you, but I would be really pleased if you could deign to be a little_ clearer_…" she said, disappointment seeping through her words.

Sasori lowered the book and stared at her with icy, expressionless orbs.

"Ohi, Dolly!" a feminine voice said "Stop glaring at her."

"Deidara. Please stop talking nonsense" the man replied "do I look to you like a "doll"?"

"Dolls, puppets…it's the same thing…"

Deidara stepped into the room, promptly reaching Hinata's side, a glass of milk in her right hand.

"Don't mind him too much" the blonde whispered "he's always as acid as lemon…At least in the morning…"

Hinata couldn't help but chuckling a little. Everything seemed to be so…well, so normal.

They surely didn't looked like dangerous criminals, but more like members of a big, strange family.

Her family…

She sighed, the thought of spending her life with them hitting her as hard as a bar of steel.

"Good morning. Did this little, humble residence of ours turn out to be worthy of your graciousness, my little fairy?"

A familiar wintry voice reached the room, reverberating in the morning air, a few seconds later Uchiha Itachi entered the room. Silently followed by his right-arm, Hoshigaki Kisame.

Hinata stiffened, eyes widening and mouth hanging open. Why did_ his_ voice surprise her so much?

Why did she feel her firmness trembling the moment she heard his toneless words?…She really didn't know.

"So this is our new rookie" the shark-boy stated, his fish-like eyes sharply analysing her features "I see, nothing out of the ordinary…"

Hinata shivered. It seemed like those eyes were penetrating her, violating her most private being.

It was the first time she saw him, the "Monster". There really was something scary in him.

Ok, rationally thinking there was something scary in everyone of them, but Hoshigaki Kisame really overcame all Akatsuki's members.

Maybe it was because of his cold, shiny skin, maybe because of his metallic voice or his small vague orbs, but, as soon as his figure showed up in her life, Hinata could distinctly sense her blood freezing in her veins.

"Itachi-san" he continued, mockery dripping so intensely from his words she could almost feel the _wetness_ of them "Since when do we give assistance to foundlings instead of recruiting new, valid members?"

Hinata blinked a couple of times.

'_How did he dare to…' _She immediately tried to reply something, but a hoarse laugh prevented her from talking.

"Since the day we enlisted you, Kisame" Itachi said "And then, I guess she hadn't shown yet what she's capable of."

"Except for eternally glaring at people, you mean?" Sasori added, once again lowering his volume to throw a glance at her.

It was definitely enough. How could they treat her this way? As if they were all angels!

She was a noble! A Hyuuga! She was…

What the hell she was, compared to those heartless, extremely powerful, S-ranked criminals?

Nothing. Nothing more than a white mouse to a hungry cat.

"You never learnt how to deal with a woman, Sasori, didn't you? Anyway, I'm going to personally test her skills. I want her as my partner in next week's spying mission."

Hinata's eyes flew open. What was he talking about? Spying mission? With _him_?

"I disagree" Sasori said, dryly "she's just going to be a bother."

"I never requested your opinion, Sasori. If I want her to come with me, I'll have her come with me. And that's all" then he turned back, reaching the door "And you, my fairy, make sure to be ready to leave seven days from today at 4 o'clock."

And then he disappeared, once again.

Hinata just stared blankly, glaring daggers at the door. She wasn't his fucking fairy and he wasn't her fucking baby-sitter. And she wanted him to understand it quickly.


	6. Mission to nowhere

Here I am!

Sorry if my chapters are short and author notes are so long! - blushes - And also if my update came so late, but my BETA is busy and she didn't send me chapters 7 and 8. But, right now, since I'm actually trying to write chapter 17 and I need your reviews to inspirate me, I decided to update all the same! ' Ok, this chapter is quite "uneventful", since it's an introspection. Hope you're going to like it. Just a question: since I usually write my stories with music, I have a song related to this fic "21 Questions" by 50 Cents. Do you also imagine a songrelated tothis fic? I'd like to know.

If you're interested to read an Itachi and Tenten story, please check my new work, "Disguise".

Kisses.

Yumi.

Dedicated to my whole Dutch gang. **To Michelle**, for she is my wonderful sissie; **to Sam**, for she is a great pen-friend; **to Gitta**, for I like her even if I don't know her that much; **to Roy,** for, sometimes even a "cute Italian lady" has to dedicate something to her Sir, right? ;P Ok, nevermind...

**Chapter 6: Mission to….nowhere.**

Late November. A wintry morning. 11 o'clock am.

Hinata was jumping from tree to tree, slightly panting. He was _fast_. Really fast.

Trees and bushes and leafs and grass quickly passed by, her mind slightly registering just shapeless stains of green and brown.

The last seven days passed quite unnoticed. Life in the Akatsuki's hideout was always the same; she lived her own existence. Apart from the others. Obviously, except from _him_.

She hadn't had to wait for _him_ too much, that morning.

At 4 o'clock he already was ready to leave. That little mocking smirk of his, painted across his face.

And it was just 4 o'clock in the morning. How long was she supposed to bear this torture and somehow not to fear him? How long was this hellish mission going to last?

Of course, seven long hours of incessant march trying to follow his incredibly quick pace wasn't reassuring her at all and, in fact, that situation was getting on her nerves rather heavily.

But asking him to slow down or, worse, to stop wasn't definitely an option.

Blurry flashes of him pinning her against a filthy wall began to play in her head reminding her of how powerless she had been. And she actually _was…_ in front of him.

But, on the other hand, obeying to him as a faithful dog wasn't something she could accept that easily.

Years and years of bearing, forgetting and forgiving created a huge amount of pent-up feelings and, probably, now even the slightest order would have turned on her angry-against-the-world side.

And Uchiha Itachi surely wasn't the kind of man that carefully tried not to be harsh. There was a small difference between him and the members of the Akatsuki. Hinata seemed to have taken notice of that.

Even if the others were S-ranked criminals as well as him (and, as far as she could tell, they were also less educated and polite than the noble Uchiha was) there was something in him able to stand out among that bunch of dirty traitors. It was a matter of "humanity", if she had to put it in that way.

In fact, even if Kisame was a shark-like monster, Sasori a flexible puppet and Deidara a rather strange girl too addicted to gunpowder, they were somehow…real.

Humans, she could almost say.

They quarrelled… and God knows how much Deidara and Sasori used to argue. They talked to each other, they mocked each other…But he was not like them.

Not at all.

His figure was always surrounded by an aura of wintriness and unreality. He was cold and distant…

He didn't talk much, except to interrupt an argument or prevent them from irritating him.

Otherwise, he used to be silent, staring out of the window and absentmindedly drawing something. Especially weapons, as she noticed silently using her Byakugan.

He didn't sleep much either; she came to learn using her ability, and never ate in front of other people.

He used to wander along the hideout's corridors at night, practicing with shurikens and kunais in a small training area prepared in the cellars.

Suddenly, something Uchiha Sasuke said some years before came to her mind "He had never been the social type. He loved darkness. And loneliness."

Hinata wasn't used to overhear when people were talking, But Sasuke's words captivated her so much, she couldn't help but listen.

_He loved darkness._

_And loneliness._

That's what his little brother said.

Staring at his back as he jumped from branch to branch was like glancing at a picture, or watching a movie.

Uchiha Itachi was really far away from her.

Physically, it was obvious, but also psychologically and emotionally.

So far, so unreachable, so untouchable…

She just shrugged, shaking her head to force those thoughts out of her mind.

"How far along are we?" she asked, her words filling the unwelcoming jungle.

"One" he just replied, without stopping to move.

Hinata blinked, then frowned "One what?"

"One day." He added, pouting. It was stark in the open that he didn't liked to be questioned at all. "We should reach a clearing in quite a few hours. Once we get there, we could rest and I'll explain you our mission. The Hidden Mist Village is just a couple of miles away from there. Is it enough for an explanation, my little fairy?"

The Hidden Mist Village? Hinata blinked. '_That's where we are heading to_.' She thought.


	7. Mocking

Bonjour!

Ok, never mind.

I decided to update in time, even if my BETA hasn't not sent me yet the chapters (I need to be cheered up).

So, you could find mistakes in here. If so, please let me know.

This is actually the only chapter I really like in the whole story – together with chapter 13.

By the way, I'm actually working on chapter 19.

And I need your help to get as many reviews as possible – which mean inspiration, for me!

For those who follow my Itachi x Tenten, "Disguise", the update will be soon, I promise.

Yumi.

**Chapter 7: Mocking**

Itachi's sense of space and time was astounding.

Eight hours later they reached a quite comfortable clearing surrounded by high, autumn trees.

'_Exactly as he said.'_

And, _exactly as he said_, the Hidden Mist was just a couple of miles away from there, Hinata started using her Byakugan.

Hellishly annoying.

She felt so…..inferior and yet so spellbound!

She hated it. Also because he surely was aware of how Hinata felt.

'_There is a trick,_' she thought, quite inconsiderately. '_There MUST be a trick…'_

"How many times?" she asked him. "How many times have you been here before?"

"What makes you think that?"

She frowned, stiffening in the cold air of the upcoming night. "You knew the place perfectly."

Itachi stared at her for a long moment, then broke out in a light chuckle.

"Never. Even if I wandered around the world for so many years, I've never been here before," he smirked. "Do I have to swear on my pride to prove it, my lil' fairy?"

Hinata distinctively felt waves of rage hitting her mind furiously.

She was hopeless. Completely hopeless.

Why did she keep on asking him these stupid questions?

He was powerful, and she was not.

It was him who ruled the game.

Even if she didn't like it.

"Don't be mad at me," he said, absentmindedly analyzing the place. "The ugly face you have when you frown doesn't suit you at all, my little fairy."

Hinata's scowl deepened.

He was incredible.

He spoke so thoughtlessly, that wintry tone of his always pouring those mocking words.

She sighed, deciding not to pay attention to his unfriendly being.

Her pale eyes began to wander around the area, looking for a safe place to rest – and as far as possible from him – and, maybe, for something to eat, too.

'_Ok…Let's see…Damn! Just trees, trees, trees…no hollow place to stay away from **him**. And I'm not even able to see something edible…'_

"What are you looking for, my little fairy? I'm sorry but there are no hotels or restaurants around here, as far as I can see… - his lips slowly turned into a smirk – But I gathered some fruits, during the march."

'_What? When did he…?' _"Fruits?" Hinata replied, pouting more because of his rude manners – and astonishing abilities – than because of the food.

"Oh….They don't suit your idea of meals, my spoiled princess?"

' _S-spoiled?'_

Her first instinct suggested her to punch him, but her noble decency – and his horrible fame, even if she would never admit it – prevented her from connecting her fist with his -beautiful-but-so-damn-smirking face.

"No, it's ok with fruits. But it's actually not with _you_…"

Uchiha Itachi raised a brow. "With me? Oh my, my…Am I being too rude and impolite too accomplish the desires of such a noble lady?"

Hinata frowned a bit more.

'_So he knows this is getting on my nerves…but he keeps on talking and acting like this…What does he think he is doing? I'm not his toy…I'M NOT HIS FUCKING TOY!'_

But expressing her emotion wasn't so simple.

She had become pretty fierce and pretty tough, it was true.

But…every time she took a glance of his aloof figure, she felt every single hint of her resolution slowly faded away and a sense of fear came over her mind, freezing her body.

And her thoughts.

Hinata hated herself for that.

She couldn't stand that part of her.

It reminded her too much about her previous self.

Whenever terror crawled under her skin as her white eyes met his red ones, she felt like she hadn't changed at all. She felt like she was still so shy, so powerless, so…

So much the Hinata that died along with Naruto.

The thought of the blonde ninja brought to the surface a lot of pleasant memories.

And an overwhelming pain.

"I don't want to have anything to do with you, as far as I can." her eyes darkened "If we have to go together on a mission, just tell me what kind of mission it is…"

Itachi smiled, his lips curving into that sinister smile of his. "You'll change your mind, sooner or later….My fairy… - he sat against a willow tree – Anyway…we're going to spy a rich lord and try to find out if he hides or not an important scroll…Nothing too difficult, as you can see."

Hinata just nodded, turning away and heading to the farthest place from where that man had sat.

"You should eat," his voice reached her ears, sending chills down her spine. "I don't want you to be a bother, tomorrow…"

"I won't eat anything touched by _you_…And then, if you're so fond with eating…why don't you eat them yourself?"

And with that she hid behind an high tree, resting her aching back against the hard trunk.

She immediately fell asleep.

For the first time in weeks, she dreamt.


	8. Stars above and life right under

Here I am again!

See? I managed to give you your regular update!

Anyway, I'm now working on chapter 20, so this mean the story is actually going on... ' Ok, other things. This chapter is the first thing that came into my mind when I decided to make it longer than 3 chapters. It's pointless, strange and quite OOC. I hope you will enjoy all the same!

Problems with the epilogue of "Disguise"... TT

Dedicated to: **Maiyuko-chan**, because she is following both of my works! And to **Kai**, because she is such a wonderful friend and doesn't hate me even if I overwork her with my nasty stuff!

Yumi-chan.

**Chapter 8: Stars above and life right under.**

' _Please'… she whispered ' please…Let him go! Don't! Please…don't kill him…NOOOOOO!'_

_And then the blood splattered all around, painting the soil with a kind of dirty red._

"NOOOO!" Hinata yelled waking up, her mouth gasping for air.

' _It's…it's a just a nightmare, Hinata…'_

She had that dream again. Those masked guys stabbing….stabbing him, her Naruto.

She sighed as she painfully parted her back from the tree, holding her aching stomach.

"**_You should eat" his voice reached her ears, sending chills down her spine "I don't want you to be a bother, tomorrow…"_**

' _Damn him!'_

Hinata shook her head, trying to sit more properly. Her huffed breath rhythmically collided with the cold air of night, crushing into small, white clouds.

'_Fair enough_' Hinata thought '_I don't feel so cold…'_

Her hands forgetfully reached the hem of her coat, to drag it up and cover her neck, but her fingers sensed a strange, silky fabric.

' _What the …'_

She threw a glance at her body. A black, red-clouded coat was laying on her, covering her whole body. Hinata stared at the object, her fingers holding the tissue as if it was flaring in her hands.

She felt completely startled.

Why?

Why did he do something like that?

He was a criminal, a traitor, a man who killed his whole family and condemned his little brother to live a miserable life. Why did he care to cover her?

' _Maybe he is not…'_

"I heard you crying," his voice filled the wintriness of the air, making her heart jump in her chest.

She immediately lowered her gaze, trying not to show how surprised she felt.

"That's none of your business," she answered, harshly handing him the coat.

He didn't reply.

He didn't accept the cloth back.

Hinata didn't dare to look at him, but she clearly felt his gaze on her.

A little moan escaped through her lips as she forcefully shut her eyes closed, hints of red tainting her cheeks.

Why?

Why was she reacting like that?

She didn't know.

Too many questions were spinning through her mind, wrapping around her crystal thoughts and crushing them.

Her life had radically changed within the last few weeks.

She betrayed her village, her family, she stalked Uchiha Itachi and entered Akatsuki, she…

She didn't know who she was anymore.

And then…that man…

He always mocked her when she was present, but, when she was not, he seemed to be concerned.

'_It's just his sick sense of possession…nothing else, Hinata, nothing else'_

"You were shivering," he said.

Hinata immediately turned round to see him shrug, then turn his gaze to the black, starlit sky. He was wearing a dark-grey, half-fishnet shirt and black pants.

'_He…'_ she thought, without even realizing it '_he must be very cold…'_

"And I didn't want you to shiver…"

Her mouth hung open.

What was he saying?

"Do you like stars?" he went on.

"What?" Hinata's surprise clearly seeped through her words.

"They say everyone's life is written in the stars" he continued, not caring about her astonishment. Then, he bent down and leaned forward to see her ashen face, lightened by the cool light of the moon "what do you think your destiny will be?"

Hinata immediately froze.

His black-and-red pools were staring at her.

She was so dazzled.

That magnetic look was piercing her soul, slowly setting free all of those pent up emotions she had tried to lock in her heart during those weeks.

What destiny was she looking forward to?

What kind of life was she going to live?

An overwhelming sense of void flooded in her mind, hardening her breath.

She suddenly closed her eyes, a sense of fear, and sorrow, and doubt and insecurity took control of her whole being. Her hands reached her ears, her body slightly trembled.

For the first time in so many days she felt so fearful, so weak, so…frail…

But then something happened.

It was just a matter of a couple of seconds.

She felt something cold reaching her shoulders, faintly squeezing them. Then, a sort of warm-breath blew on her forehead, making that wonderful heat crawl under her skin and enveloping her inner core.

She didn't know why, but she felt so reassured, though she didn't dare to open her eyes, almost afraid to see all of the goodness of the situation, miserably fade away.

It was a good sensation. A blissful moment she would never be able to forget.

She wasn't used to such emotions. She had never been cuddled, nor "touched" with…such affection, she could say.

That breath…that warm air brushing against her forehead…it almost seemed to be…

A kiss.

This statement hit her with violence, making her eyes fly open.

But he was gone.

Hinata found herself panting, holding his coat tight to her chest.

'_It must be a dream_' she thought '_it must be a dream…'_


	9. Knowledge

Ehi!

Here I am with my regular update!

Nothing much to tell, introspective chapter. Chapter 10 will be better, I think Or, at least, I like it. :D Kej, bad news: I'm working on chapter 20, right now, but probably I'll stop writing "Uncovered" for a short period, because I need time to dedicate to my other stories. :) The same goes for the sequel of "Disguise".

Read and Review!

Lotsa kisses!

Yumi-chan

Dedicated to Mai-chan! And please, check my account for my new challenge…It could be interesting to see.

**Chapter 9: Knowledge**

Two weeks passed since that day.

The morning after that… "Dream", she had woken up alone, only her black coat to cover her body.

Uchiha Itachi had been as mean and impolite as always, no trace of goodness or gentleness or… "Affection", as she defined that sensation some days before.

But, on the other hand, she was quite sure it hadn't been a hallucination.

It….it couldn't have been. She felt that iciness around her shoulders…and…that warmth…that kiss, on her forehead…so…

What could have been?

She smartly decided not to think about it.

She would have archived that "experience" as an error.

A very pleasant one, but an error.

Anyway, the spying mission had been concluded pretty smoothly, even if she wasn't sure about the reasons that had brought him to have her by his side, since she hadn't been useful at all.

Not that she had been a bother, or an utter incompetent, but he simply hadn't allowed her to do anything, except for scanning the area with her Byakugan, which she thought it had just been a way to shut her protests for her uselessness.

It was like trying to play with a puzzle whose pieces had been scattered all around, or broken, or damaged.

Hinata had had some clues, some…indications, but she really didn't know how to link them, nor what kind of "figure" she was trying to discover.

What could she do, then?

Nothing, just wait.

And observe.

As the days passed by, she noticed she liked pretty much to examine Akatsuki's member's customs, trying to understand their peculiarities, their attitudes.

Her analysis shortly proved to be quite useful and amusing.

She discovered, for example, that Deidara always had a shower early in the afternoon and she didn't like to eat fruits, that Kisame liked light-grey clothes and lemon-tea and that Sasori couldn't stand to train in the morning and that he had a soft spot for ice-creams.

Hinata almost felt…happy.

The idea of now being a part of a big, bizarre, family didn't scare or startle her anymore.

She had learnt how to shut up Deidara's incessant blabbering, how to deal with Sasori's harshness, or how to have Kisame respect her a bit more, how to…

A sudden statement hit her mind.

What did she learn about Uchiha Itachi?

Nothing much from what she already got to learn in her first days.

She didn't know what he liked, what he disliked – except for the fact he never ate meat – she couldn't understand his life-routine….maybe because he really didn't have one.

So many times Hinata tried to stalk and observe him, trying to find out a bit more about his personality.

At first, she felt a bit uncomfortable with it, since she had never been the type to spy someone else's life, but she slowly convinced her she was just doing what a good ninja had to do: gathering information.

But every time she tried to follow him down the intricate corridors of the hideout, he always disappeared as soon as he turned the corner. So, she decided to at least attempt to discover the way he liked to train or the hours of the day he preferred, but whenever she thought to have achieved something, he suddenly changed his customs, leaving her completely dazzled.

The worse thing of all was she knew he surely was aware of his irritating behaviour.

He wasn't harsh, nor vulgar, but he had always managed to get on her nerves and annoy her to the point she wanted to beat him up.

And he perfectly knew she couldn't, or rather she wouldn't have wanted to.

And she didn't know why.

Hinata sighed, averting her gaze from the windowpanes.

She smiled a bit, her hand caressing the deep scratch she had traced on her forehead-protector.

She had now found her mission.

She wanted to deepen her knowledge of that man.

She wanted to learn as much as she could about Uchiha Itachi.


	10. Sharp

Long chapter. Or, at least, longer than my usual. It's one of my favourites ever, not only considering this story.

That's it. I'm sorry, but my future updates will be very late… No inspiration (Maybe lack of feedback? I don't know) and very busy and stressed with school…

I didn't even have enough time to send this chapter to my BETA, so probably there will be mistakes. Please, correct them for me.

Please, I need you, fangirls and fanboys!

Kisses.

Yumi-chan

Thanks to Juliagulia for her nice correction!

**Chapter 10: Sharp**

Fate was smiling at her.

Did she wish to learn something more about Uchiha Itachi?

Well, the perfect chance to accomplish her purposes showed up quite soon.

A month had passed since the mission had been completed and Hinata had slowly found herself a lot more stubborn than she ever imagined.

Was he trying to escape from her and leave her confused? Fair enough, she would have been more considerate and smart, moving every single piece on the chessboard with the highest attention.

Making him fail had now become a matter of honour and pride.

She couldn't lose in front of a dirty traitor.

So, after some more days of vain stalking, she finally managed to follow him until he reached a small clearing outside of the hideout. Six targets were placed on some tree trunks, shining sinisterly in the dim light of the morning.

Hinata watched Uchiha Itachi as he slowly removed his coat and extracted from his pocket six sharp kunais, placing then among his slender fingers.

She frowned, silently turning around to check if someone could have eventually discovered her safe place behind some bushes. The exercise, as far as she could remember, was quite difficult: throwing three kunais on your right and three on your left, then quickly other six to deviate the previous ones and make them hit the target on the opposite.

' _Rather easy for someone like him…'_ she stated, a bit of jealousy in her words.

Uchiha Itachi scowled a bit, sighing.

Then he quickly positioned the weapons in order to toss them towards the targets but, suddenly, with a sharp movement of his wrist he changed the direction and made them drive into the hard wood of a tree just behind Hinata's head.

"Stop hiding" he said, pouting "I can't concentrate with a nuisance stalking me around all day…"

Hinata froze, her mouth hanging open.

How did he manage to do that?

She slowly struggled to her feet, emerging from the bushes.

"I didn't stalk you."

He smirked "You obviously did. I didn't figure a noble princess like you could be so _impolite _and _indiscreet_."

She scowled "Excuse me?"

His grin broadened "If you wanted to know something about me, why didn't you just ask as every normal person would have done, my little fairy?" he leaned forward fixing his gaze into hers "Unless…" he trailed, raising a brow.

"Unless _what?_" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"Unless you…..have some interest in me, my fairy…"

Hinata's eyes widened "I WHAT!"

Uchiha Itachi chuckled, his sarcastic tone of his spreading into the cold air "Why did you follow me, then?"

She frowned a bit, trying not to show she wanted to actually break down and shout at him_ 'Does he want to play? Let's play then…' _"Why do you think I followed you?"

"Because you actually did it." He answered, coming a little closer and obviously trying to pin her against a tree.

She swallowed, but kept her self control, without averting her gaze from him. "And what would be wrong in that case?"

But playing with fire was quite dangerous.

He suddenly grabbed her wrist and bashed her against the tree.

"Uhmmm….nothing…" he said, his nose just a few inches away from hers "Then…What would you like to know about me?"

Hinata was now swallowing hard.

Why did that man always manage to pin her in some close situation?

And why was she so fucking stupid to always fall for it?

"Nothing" she spat "You really are nothing to me."

He seemed not to hear "My favourite colour is black, I love animals and I can't stand weaklings…Is it enough for you?" he concluded, brushing his lower body against her.

The situation had began to turn out to be far too familiar.

Snapshots of her pinned against a wall, started to play in her mind.

He felt again his hot breath on her neck, his pelvis on her own, but…

Why didn't she feel uncomfortable with those thoughts?

That consideration startled her mind, making her gasping for air.

"You are nothing to me…" she repeated, anger and disgust adorning her sharp words.

"You sure? Why aren't you pulling me away, then? Why are your eyes so full of desire and…"

And then the whole world collapsed and stretched around Hinata's mind as he placed his hot mouth on her neck, sucking gently on her skin.

She almost cried, eyes widened as her arms automatically reached his shoulders to get some support. Then, as sudden as it happened, he parted from her and turned back.

"Come to think about it" he added, walking away.

Hinata crumpled to her knees, desperately gasping for air.

"You are nothing to me…" she whispered to the void air.

Her mind felt numb, as a strange tremor shook her body.

"You are nothing to me…"

But why there wasn't regret but desire?

No, she couldn't….

It was impossible…

She vehemently closed her eyes, shaking her head.

Then, a long, painful cry escaped from her lips, reverberating along those green bushes.

"YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME!"


	11. Uncovered

Here I am again. Just a few things. Short, introspective chapter again. Chapter 12 will be even stranger…sigh

Good news: done with chapter 20 and planned until chapter 25, more or less. Bad news: no inspiration…sigh

PS no BETA again, please me gentle and correct me…

Dedication: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SISSE! I LOVE YOU! – glomp –

**Chapter 11: Uncovered**

Some days passed since that morning.

But…how many?

Hinata didn't know.

Ever since that, her head felt so heavy, so void so…fluctuant.

Memories and fragments of heat and pleasure chased around her mind, filling her insecurities with new doubts and questions.

All of those scary but pleasing moments were carved into her body and soul, leaving her breathless and confused.

Why did he like to play with her like that?

Was that a punishment for her stubbornness?

Uchiha Itachi surely was a strange guy, she already knew it.

What she didn't know was, indeed, the fact he turned out to be such a smart manipulator.

And he really liked that sick game. The tiny, sharp art of amusing himself with her feelings, as if it wasn't the most normal activity to break the boredom and occupy himself.

"Monstrous", everyone would have called it so.

'_Annoying and rather cruel'_ she considered, matter-of-factly.

Trying to avoid that matter, then, Hinata's mind moved to ponder about her situation, which, truth to be told, wasn't exactly a bed of roses.

Or rather, on the contrary, it was more of a bed of _thorns_.

Even if she was now getting used to her new life, the sensation of loitering between the devil and the deep blue sea, hadn't diminished at all.

In fact, as the days passed by, a spiky, insistent thought slowly crawled into her mind, giving her a new matter to be concerned about.

As if she didn't have enough to care about yet…

How did the villagers deal with the news of her betrayal? Did they send someone to rescue – or rather capture – her? There was no way to predict it. Tsunade-sama surely was a smart kunoichi, but it was really hard to imagine the shy, submissive, sweet-hearted Hyuuga Hinata as a traitor.

However, on the other hand, there was that great trouble named Uchiha Itachi and all that followed.

Uchiha Itachi, the man whose temper was as instable as the spring weather.

The man who enjoyed to inflict pain.

Correction: the man who enjoyed to inflict pain _to her_.

And yet, because of her damned obstinacy, she couldn't avert her thoughts from him.

The less she understood, the more she got interested.

The more she felt startled, the less her fear showed up.

It made a completely nonsense, it was obvious.

But so it was, nothing more, nothing less.

Her hand absentmindedly reached her neck, brushing against the spot he had tainted with his touch just a few days before.

'_He tried to rape me the first day we met'_ she stated, dryly.

She sighed, lifting her hand to rest her cheek on it.

'_Or, maybe he never wanted to commit violence in first place…'_

But then, after that, his behaviour oscillated between mocking and caring, joking and being stern. And the greatest matter was she couldn't tell when he played dumb and when he really was serious.

Ok, all of her considerations were nothing original, given that his attitude was stark in the open since the very first moment. But, day after day, that feeling had become more and more plain and insistent, almost...mocking. Sometimes she even had the impression to be a poor, incompetent actress playing on a cheap backstreet stage.

'_The devil dressed up as a joker…' _

Or, maybe "A joker dressed up as the devil…"

'_Maybe he likes me – _she ventured, turning her gaze to the window_ – or maybe I'm the one to…'_

"_Maybe"._

That was the perfect word to describe him.

Dealing with him was _"maybe"._ Getting along with him was _"maybe"._ Being put together on a mission was _"maybe"._

Her whole, entire life was now _"maybe"._

Probably, considering their "relationship" in another context, it just would have seemed to be a normal way young people use to get acquainted but, looking at it more properly, it just seemed like a devil chasing around an angel, willing to rip off her wings.

'_An angel, or maybe…a fairy'_ Hinata pouted, biting her lower lip.

And then, the question was: was she willing to be caught? Or rather…was she able to really escape if she ever wanted to?

Hinata clenched her fists, scowling a bit.

Because the truth was that, in front of him, she felt completely uncovered.


	12. Everything but the snow

Hey!

Just to reply to one of the reviews I got, I didn't promise to update within 30th, but still, I try to do it every ten days, as a "moral belief"

Short, pointless, quite…strange? Inspired by an Italian song talking about snow, I wrote it.

You'll hate me, chapter 13 is going to be long just 600 words or such…Anyway, news from writing: I wrote chapter 21 during a rush of inspiration! I had not BETA for this, so please, send me your corrections!

Love you all.

Yumi-chan

**Chapter 12: Everything but the snow**

That feeling, day by day, became unbearable.

She tried. She really tried not think about it, not to suffer, not to struggle, but she couldn't.

Every time he showed up in front of her, it was like a pointed blade piercing through her bosom.

It was weakening her.

And then, the small, soft snowflakes of late January, filled her being with a sense of loneliness and nothingness.

She got used to spend most of her spare-time looking out of the window, observing the small pieces of white covering with innocence the dark landscape of cold winter, hiding the truth with that tiny but impenetrable shield.

Was she doing the same?

Were her thoughts denying the sight of her inner self as a pure, soft cover?

She didn't know.

There were moments in which she felt just anger and rage, and others in which her only companions were grief and sorrow. Maybe it was because of the month, January, which reminded her a lot of her previous life, maybe because of the circumstances. Maybe because of her as a human being…

Or maybe because of nothing of that.

So, in her ever so frequent moments of depression, her gaze and mind were fixed on the windowpanes, but, probably, were looking for something beyond.

The others didn't seem to notice, since they had a lot of missions and stuff to carry out.

But Uchiha Itachi wasn't one of _the others_.

Hinata had often perceived his glance on her, whenever her hand reached the wintry surface of the window-glass, whenever a small, hurting sigh parted from her suffering bosom, clouding up the panes. But she hadn't raised a finger, nor spoken a single word. And he just did the same.

But that idle loitering just couldn't last for long.

And, precisely, it got broken on a wintry night of late January.

Just after dinner, Hinata had moved to her room, than sat on her bed, distractedly eying the black landscape her window offered. Uchiha Itachi had stared at her quite a bit, but, as dejected as she felt at the moment, she couldn't care any less.

Or, rather, she wouldn't have cared any less until her pale orbs caught a glimpse of red reflected in the polished glass.

"What are you doing here? – she asked flatly, no intonation in her void words – get out of here."

The reflection just grinned a bit, coming closer and, apparently, sitting on the bed besides her "What are you staring at?" he ventured, tilting his head.

She just sighed, closing her eyes "I thought it was obvious. I'm looking at the snow"

His image didn't move "And why?"

Hinata felt like answering something like "It's none of your fucking business", but, as her mouth opened, just a new, small sigh escaped through her lips as she slowly shook her head "Because it reminds me a lot about my family"

He tilted his head, frowning a bit as if he was concerned about something important "So sweet and tender, my little fairy?" he finally spat out, mockingly.

She didn't react to his caustic words, just leaned a bit forward "No. So pure and yet so wintry. It's soft and it just seemed to be nice, but when you touch it…you just discover it's cold and its iciness spreads out to your bones. Snow is a beautiful nonsense. There are no feelings in snow."

"And – he trailed – Do you have feelings?"

That question caught Hinata completly off guard, inducing her to turn round to lock her gaze on his.

"I… - she said, her voice nothing more than a mere breath – I'm not sure anymore." She admitted, lowering her eyes to the green blanket.

A soothing silence filled the room, giving a pause to that pointless speech.

They just stared at each other for a long, intense moment, her ashen eyes blending with his gory ones.

"Red and white is pink", they say. But, in their case, it was more of a blood-stained pureness.

Then, his voice broke that peaceful stillness.

"You're not able to forget, aren't you?"

Hinata just felt like nodding. She wasn't sure of what exactly she didn't manage to forget, but, somehow, she could swear he was right. It was odd, strange, maybe foolish, but she just wanted to cry. To bury her face in the softness of the pillow and cry out all of her pain until the peaceful night would have come to dry those silver paths on her rosy cheeks.

But how could such a slumber be peaceful?

She just raised her head a little to catch a small sight of his face, her broadened, glittering orbs seemingly too similar to those which harmlessly stared at his cousin's the day she entered the Chuunin Exam. Much to her astonishment, Itachi's lips were curved into a sort of smile, as his hand reached for her chin.

"And you _want_ to forget, right?"

Yes, she wanted.

Everything to erase that grief.

Everything…

Hinata just nodded once more, slightly shivering at the contact.

She knew it perfectly. He just wanted to use her once more.

He slowly prepared his path during all this time.

And now she was so…fascinated? Spellbound? Dejected? to refuse.

"Very well. Then, I'll show you the path that leads to oblivion".

Two small tears ran down Hinata's cheeks as she was slowly enveloped into the enemy's arms.


	13. Empty

I know, you're gonna hate me: drabblish chapter…435 words… Very, very short and probably (because of the general rating of the story) way less "exciting" than what you were expecting. I'm sorry for that. From chapter 14, things are a bit better. About general writing, I'm stuck at chapter 21, right now. Sigh!

Anyway, dedicated to Kai-chan for her B-day! I know I'm a few days late, but I studied like Hell…

HAPPY B-DAY, MY DEAR! LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Yumi-chan

**Chapter 13: Empty**

The upcoming night embraced the Akatsuki's hideout, allowing its slender fingers to cuddle those desolated landscapes, harsh hearts, uncaring souls.

No sound to sooth them, no light to enlighten their faces.

Just their breaths huffing, their hearts pulsing, their limbs moving.

Not a single moan, not a chuckle, not a cry.

Just his low voice hushing her insecurities once they achieved that very moment.

"Don't cry" he said, kissing her forehead.

Hinata didn't move, just tilted her head to the side and desperately sank her teeth into her lower lip, as her body was connected with his.

She was now aware of what she was doing.

She was conceding her most precious thing to Itachi, that monster.

Oh, my!

How stupid she had been!

Deceiving herself, denying the undeniable, being guilty of worst sin of all: haughtiness.

' _You see, stupid Hinata_' she kept on repeating to herself '_this is what you've gained! This is what you craved for…You're not even able to decide about your own life!'_

What a vain statement, now that Itachi was burying himself even more deeply inside of her!

And the most tearing detail was that it wasn't painful.

Or, at least, not as painful as her father's words, her cousin's piety, the villagers' rumours.

But it wasn't pleasant either.

Why did those lustful memories of kisses and touches and filthy walls and hard trunks against her back vanished when she needed them the most?

Why didn't she feel desire anymore?

Had it all been fault of her stubbornness and pride?

That strange ritual proceeded until dawn tapped on her window, then, as absurdly as it began, it quickly came to an end and Uchiha Itachi parted from her with a last, passionate kiss.

He hadn't been harsh, nor violent as she imagined, but he tore her deep inside.

He had been a sort of lover, but he ripped off all the certainties she grabbed onto.

Hinata didn't dare to look up at him as he slowly got dressed.

She just curled into a miserable bundle of a girl and silently cried onto her naked body, as if her tears could purify her sinfulness, wash away the pain.

'_So it just tasted this way'_ she thought, almost scolding herself for having forgotten how it felt to be so miserable.

Having had sex with Uchiha Itachi, had now emptied her completely, making her as mere and plain as a transparent container. Her previous self had been definitely spilled on the filthy floor of life, splattering all around in small, elusive droplets.

But now…

What was she going to be filled with?


	14. Vain Escaping

Alright, here I am, a bit late.

News: Reached and surpassed the average of 10 reviews ever chapter.

Writing: Still stuck at chapter 22, the beginning….(cries)

Other stories: Working on a fan-fiction about Bleach, so….yeah….if you like Bleach, too…

I'm sorry if I didn't reply to all my reviews this time. I'm truly BUSY LIKE HELL.

Dedicated to my anonymous reviewer, Vanessa, because her review made me laugh for hours.

Yumi-chan

**Chapter 14: Vain Escaping.**

February came with his windy weather.

And Hinata's mind was still all messed up and confused.

Anyway, since she really didn't want them to recognize something wrong or, worse, to have _him _mocking her, she decided to bury that episode – as many others – in the depths of her soul and body, and to go on as if nothing ever happened.

And fortunately, the fact she was now trusted enough to be allowed to carry out some missions, helped her quite a bit. Obviously, she tried to avoid him as much as she could, even if that meant to be paired up with Sasori or Kisame.

Her "new", aloof personality had already failed once and she surely didn't want it to happen again.

So, for this reason, she felt somewhat grateful to Itachi for not having told them anything.

And for not making her remember about that, too.

As if it wasn't enough difficult to forget even without his mocking remarks.

As if those caresses, those kisses, that heat weren't already carved enough into her body.

But Hinata really didn't want to give up.

She had been able to ignore her feelings for so long that it wouldn't have been a problem not to get conditioned by them now. And then, there were other things to care about, now.

Maybe some ninjas were looking for her, now. Maybe she was going to be caught and condemned.

' _You became a criminal and traitor… You surely are not a S-ranked one, but you still betrayed your village…deal with it, Hinata! ' _

However, her life as an "Akatsuki's-member-for-Itachi's-goodness" – because it was as plain as water her permanence in the organization was due to Uchiha Itachi, who probably shut their mouths about the matter – wasn't simple at all. Once again, in fact, she ended up being the shy-one, the inferior, the powerless and, mainly, Sasori's or Kisame's maid if they were on a mission.

She surely had to do something about that. But dealing with them was too much for a mere Chuunin and talking to Deidara wasn't an option since, even if she was a girl and actually a rather "easy-going" person, Hinata didn't have much of a bond with her.

' _Uchiha Itachi '_

Hinata frowned as those two, spiky words came to her mind.

She rolled over in the bed, casting a sharp look to Sasori, who was checking his weapons.

Another mission with the puppet-master, another bunch of days wasted being locked up in a cheap hotel's room, another unwanted chance to face her thoughts.

She scowled, glaring at the man closing the door behind his shoulders and leaving her alone. Her hand automatically reached for her kunai's holster, but her weapon just vainly collided with the wall, driving into the brick's shield. She abruptly stood up and, with a low growl drew out the blade, fixing her pale eyes on its shiny surface.

' _If you were with him, nothing of this would happen! '_

That statement shocked her.

Well, matter-of-factly it was true. If she had been with Itachi she wouldn't have been locked up in a _room_. Most probably, she would have been locked up in his _arms_. Her eyes widened as she suddenly caught a glimpse of red reflecting on the metallic weapon which, slipping form her loosened grip, fell clattering on the stone floor. Her breath suddenly went huffed as her wicked memory began to literally _shoot_ in her mind flashing images and sensations of his bare chest, his raven, silky hair, his slender fingers. She immediately found herself leaning against the wall to keep some semblance of control. Her legs were shaking, nails harmlessly scratching the white plaster as her pulse steadily accelerated providing her the impression of being on the verge of exploding. Then, with a loud moan she collapsed on the floor, panting hard.

"Oh, my my" a male, far-too-known voice echoed in her ears "I didn't know you were so affected by that night…"

Hinata shivered.

'_How? Is it possible that… ? Oh my God, you're hallucinating!'_

But how can you consider a simple hallucination a wintry hand lifting up your chin?

Itachi chuckled, his eyes returning to normal as he deactivated his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"My ability is less effective if it's just a reflection" he stated, grabbing Hinata's wrists and pulling her towards the bed "but it's still quite spellbinding, isn't it?"

Hinata's mouth hung open, as she felt once again his body on hers.

"I can tell" he went on, pinning her arms above her head "you're trying to avoid my presence since then, aren't you? Had it been so bad?"

The girl just squirmed, a tiny wail rolling from her parted lips.

"Anyway, there is change in our programs" Itachi leaned forward, his nose brushing against hers "you're coming with me"

And, with those simple words, he stood up, a glint of victory sparkling in his raven eyes as he noticed how such a small contact – and the gift of his Tsukuyomi – could throw in a complete mess such a delicate soul.


	15. How to add insult to injury

HEY!

Guess what? I'm still alive. This update was….freaking late, considering my standards, but I've been going through a bad period of depression AND preparing for my final examination at school, having many tests and such. I'm sorry, I don't think I can reply to your reviews until the first half of July (school) but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate them all the same.

About this chapter: this is FAR less tragic and intense than what you could expect. About my writing: still stuck to chapter 22….TT But I'm working on a comic story about Bleach. Who's interested? Kisses!

Please, support me!

Dedicated to all my fans (and I hope you're are still following me).

**Chapter 15: How to add insult to injury**

' _Wake up, damn it! Hinata wake up!'_ she thought, clenching her arms on her black coat.

But, as wintry wind blew against her flushed skin, her blurry mind suggested her it was all but a dream – or, rather a nightmare.

Ok, rewind.

She had been sent on a stalking mission with Sasori, she had been locked in a room, she threw a kunai against the door, she went to draw out the blade and then…?

Then there just had been a bunch of inexplicable events which just rushed too fast.

What the hell was Itachi doing?

Why did he come to pick her up?

'_Geez, you just thought it would have been better with Itachi, right? Here you are, stupid Hinata!'_

But, honestly, the fact of feeling guilty wasn't useful at all.

She deeply sighed, trying to calm down and to properly think.

' _Properly think, eh? As if..'_

The main question – obviously after "Who the hell do you think you are, you damn monster?" – surely concerned the place he was heading to. Surely being taken off that puppet's evil gazes was not such a bad thing, but, if she had to choose between staying in a hotel room with Sasori and going-nowhere-to-be-found with Uchiha Itachi, she would have hardly picked up the second one.

Then, the situation was strange. They didn't run through wild bushes and high trees, but on the contrary, they were calmly strolling down that foreign city's streets.

Hinata cast an harsh gaze on him. Ok, maybe the fact that he wasn't wearing his nasty-clouded-printed coat or forehead protector, but just some comfortable clothes as jeans and a shirt, should have been quite a big clue, but…what did you expect of a girl who had just been mentally harassed and messed up?

While those million thoughts somewhat filled her mind, Itachi's hand reached for her one and entwined his fingers with hers…

Wait a moment.

While those million thoughts _concerning that…that asshole_, somewhat filled her mind, Itachi's _wintry, cold, bloody_ hand reached for her one and entwined his fingers with hers…

Hinata's eyes widened, as she struggled to free herself from his gentle but irremovable hold.

"Let go!" she said firmly, but not shouting. It was already enough annoying to have him acting as a fool and she really didn't want the villagers to look at her and Mr Mad Hatter as…_as a young couple_, did she?

He didn't reply. He didn't move.

Hinata's anger began to steadily grow.

Her fingers were effectively trapped among his and, the more she fought back, the more she got held.

' _He still wants to play with me, eh? That…that sick bastard! Avoiding the subject of that night until now just to get on my nerves!'_

"Let go of me!" the repeated with a precise, rough – and useless – movement of her arm.

"We have an hotel room reserved under the name 'Nishimura' " he answered dryly, without looking at her and pretending to be interested in a sweet's stall "From now on, you'll join the game and play with me for the sake of our purposes, caught it? You're now my wife."

' _EXCUSE ME?'_

Her mouth opened in surprise as she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks – and technically in the middle of a quite big crowd.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" she shouted "I AM WHA-?"

But she wasn't allowed to complete her sentence. In fact, he immediately pulled her close to his chest and kissed her, pressing his lips against hers quite harshly and soon performing a perfect French kiss in front of at least fifty spectators – hushing, in every sense, her protests.

When he finally parted, allowing her to breath, his finger slowly achieved her nose and, faintly brushing against it, he blurted out one of his hideous sentences.

"You're my wife" he said, mischievously smiling "Act properly, _Hiromi-chan_"

'_Hiromi-chan?' _

Was that the name he gently "provided" her as his…AS HIS DAMN WIFE?

Hinata scowled. However, the overwhelming will to rip that fake smile off his face was quickly silenced by the stern thought that, if she indulged in doing what she wanted to, she also would have had to crack, finger by finger, the hands of those idiots who dared to applaud.

So, she simply clutched on his arm when he invited her to, not a single word or further protests.

"Oh, and I forgot" Uchiha Itachi added after a few moments, slowly whispering against her skin – and obviously making her shiver and flush. That mischievous, wicked, sinister smile of his was still painted on that pale face. "You'd better hide that scratched forehead protector, or it will blow up our cover, _my sweet wife_"

The last three words rolled out of his mouth adorned by a revolting, hissing tone that made her stomach roll over and then over again. She just threw him an annoyed gaze, then she arranged her black coat to cover her neck completely.

' _He is going to regret it!'_ she angrily thought, hardly suffocating her resolve to crush that damn limb she was holding onto _' He is definitely going to regret it!'_


	16. Family Matters

You thought I died? Too bad for you I didn't. I just had my final exam at school. That means I'm out of high-school. Hopefully I'll soon resume my habit to reply to e-mails and reviews. You happy?

Anyway – still stuck at chapter 22. Lack of inspiration and support for this story are killing me. Besides, I'm not even that good…

Dedicated to those who still follow me and to ChakiHara who even made a drawing for me. And I love drawings VEEEEEERY MUCH!

THANK YOU! kisses

Yumi-chan.

**Chapter 16: Family matters**

"Good-evening, Mister"

A never-before-seen gentle Uchiha Itachi entered the small hall of the hotel, his "wife" following him as willingly as a soon-to-be-sacrificed virgin. Except the fact that, due to a moment of complete lack of brain, she wasn't a virgin anymore.

"Good evening!" the old, white-haired man replied "May I help you?"

'_Can you please exterminate that pain in my neck ?'_ Hinata teasingly thought.

"We have a double room reserved. Nishimura" the raven-haired boy went on.

' _Double room? He is completely insane! That fool!'_

"Of course." The owner looked on the guest-book, then promptly checked the keys hanging in a small shelf behind him. "Nishimura Kazuki and Nishimura Hiromi, right?" he paused for a moment, waiting for Itachi's dry nod and Hinata's deep scowl. "Very well, room 18. First floor, second room on the left."

They both bowed, then strolled along the corridors and up the stairs, reaching their place.

After a few moments the door got locked behind them. And Hinata's pent-up rage burst out with the fury of an hurricane.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" she yelled, her hands up to convey her words. "DO YOU THINK I'M YOUR FUCKING TOY?"

Uchiha Itachi just raised a brow, peacefully accommodating himself on the huge bed.

Or, better still, he sat on the soft mattress and leisurely took off his black shirt, tossing it somewhere on a nearby chair.

"Come" he just said as nothing ever happened, stretching out his arm in her direction "It's quite comfortable … _Hiromi-chan_"

"Hiromi" felt another rush of anger overcome the frail barriers of her noble politeness.

"UCHIHA ITACHI, I'M NOT KIDDING!" she yelled back at him.

He smiled.

"Neither do I" was his simple answer.

Hinata glared at him a bit more, turning to the window not to let him know she obviously felt defeated by his overwhelming power (and mockery, of course). She stared out of the windowpanes, her pale eyes leisurely following the men passing by.

'_His wife?'_ she thought, clenching her fists _' How did he dare to! I may be powerless, useless or whatever, BUT HE CAN'T PLAY WITH ME!'_

But, once again, he was too fast for her to match him.

"Thinking about something hideous, my dear wife?"

In a blink of an eye his arms were around her waist, slowly caressing her hips up and down.

Hinata's mouth suddenly got opened.

She hated it.

She hated when he teased her that way. Also because she was perfectly aware she couldn't counter such mischievous "assaults".

She just turned to him once again, eyes filled with anger.

"I was obviously thinking about you, _Kazuki-sama_"

But, if her statement should have been meant to piss him off, all she obtained was an unnatural laughter and an hoarse chuckle.

' _Evidently, I amuse him that much'_ she considered, sarcastically.

"I'm glad you are getting acquainted with your new, temporary identity." He simply replied "It'll be easier not to get caught when the appropriate moment will come"

"What moment?" she asked, frowning as she notice that his sick tricks averted her attention from the real purposes – if there really were serious purposes for that "performance".

"The moment when you'll understand why I chose you as my wife, Hiromi-chan"

'_Still wants to joke, uh? But I must hold on…at least until I discover WHY he did it…'_

"And so?"

"So what?" he smiled, annoying Hinata even more – if it was possible to actually irritate her poor being more than that.

She sighed, trying to chill out "What kind of mission is it?"

Uchiha Itachi sat on the bed, pulling her with him and placing her on his lap.

Hinata didn't move. If all he wanted to spill out the details of that stupid thing, was having her obedient and submissive, well, she would have done it.

If _that_ was her only weapon...why not making a good use of it?

"Wanna know the details, right?" he smirked "Well, it's not the proper time to tell you"

She frowned.

'_Hinata, please, be quite…he is not trying to convince you there's a reason wall it is just FOR HIS OWN SICK PLEASURE, RIGHT? I have to make sure of it…I absolutely have to make sure!'_

"Why not?" she went on "I'm actually being part of them or…" she leaned forward, trying to "seduce" him "or you want me to misunderstand and act wrong? And how about Sasori? Not that I care about him, but he could think I'm a traitor…"

He laughed "A traitor of a traitor? How curious! I just left a note when we exited, but maybe…" Itachi just looked at her, grinning "You were too busy in trying to put yourself together, my lil' fairy... Don't worry about acting wrong, I'm here to make up for your mistakes, _my wife_" he said, acidly pouring those simple words " and…about misunderstanding…shouldn't I be the one to misunderstand, since you're about to_ kiss_ me, sitting on my lap?"

'_THAT BASTARD!'_

Hinata's eyes widened "I'M ABOUT WHAT?YOU WERE THE ONE TO PULL ME ON YOUR LAP!"

"Sure" he replied "but I never told you to stay still, nor to lean forward,_ fairy_…"

She abruptly stood up and walked up the window.

' _I HATE HIM! I FUCKING HATE HIM!'_

She could distinctly hear him laughing.


	17. Physically unlocked, virtually blocked

HEY ALL!

I'm here again.

Honesty, in these last days, I've been greatly pondering about this story and I had come to the realization there was no reason to keep on updating it because it wasn't going on and was stuck at chapter 22 since at least March.

But then, suddenly and out of the blue, inspiration struck again, and in a rush of folly, I wrote in a solenight the end of chapter 22, the whole chapter 23 and the beginning of chapter 24, greatly surprising myself because of it. So, that means that maybe – MAYBE – there's still a future for this story. I say maybe because I'm starting to dislike the newest developments of the manga and this is really pushing me towards Bleach (I actually have 3 one shots in progress a chaptered story at page 51 and a collection of drabbles - all waiting to be published).

What do you think I should do?

PS long chapter for my standards with this story. I know, the title is lame, lame, lame…  
And sorry for my English, but it's 3.30 in the morning here…

Kisses.

Yumi-chan

DEDICATED TO ALL MY PATIENT READERS!

**Chapter 17: Physically unlocked, virtually blocked.**

Have you ever wondered how it feels like when you can't sleep and anger slowly crawls under your skin until all you want to do is furiously bite on the pillow trying not break down and cry?

Hinata did.

She sighed, carefully moving forward and trying to reach the edge of the bed – and just colliding against Itachi's firm grip around her waist.

'_Humiliating'_

After she had reached the window, that afternoon, all she had thought about was struggling to find a safe place to rest apart from him. But, as the only possible solution came into her mind and she walked up to the bathroom's door to lock herself in, his hands came from behind and pulled her on the bed, making her crumple on top of him. Before she could move and break free from his grip, he had suddenly rolled over and straddled her hips, enjoying for a few moments her amazed look, before spitting out a mocking "Let's go to sleep, my bride" and clutching onto her body just to let her know she had no way to escape.

' _What the hell does he think, clutching onto me like that!'_

Anyway, the night just went on like that.

At 3 o'clock AM her tiredness eventually won over her stubbornness and she fell asleep in his arms. When she woke up, at 9 o'clock, the room was empty. Itachi's clothes were gone and no visible trace of him had been left.

Hinata rolled over and placed a hand on his side of the mattress: it was cold, which meant he had gone very early, that morning.

' _Cool'_ she thought, rubbing her temples as she stood up '_Same shit, different day…_ (A/N: Taken from Stephen King's "Dream-catcher"). _But you should cheer up, Hinata: being locked in by the "magnificent Uchiha Itachi" is a great improvement compared to being locked in by Sasori, right?'_

She shook her head and then reached the window.

Anonymous ninjas, girls, boys, mothers were absentmindedly passing by, carrying on their daily duties. It surely was a beautiful picture of life.

Hinata sighed.

Did she ever experience such "normality"? No, probably not. Just the appearance of a fake ordinariness that hid the rotten of her family.

Her graduation as a Chuunin, her missions, her banquets with all the relatives were shining brightly as the polished façade of a building. And behind? Behind just dust and ruins.

She sighed deeply, resting her forehead against the windowpanes.

'_But it doesn't matter anymore, right? It had been three months ago…'_

She averted her gaze from the street and walked up to the door.

Her hand forgetfully curled around the handle, turning it to the left and waiting for the lock to block her movement. But, much to her astonishment, the lock caught and the door slammed open, revealing the brightness of the corridor.

'_What the …?'_

Hinata blinked a couple of times, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

No, it wasn't a dream.

The door was opened for real, which it meant Uchiha Itachi didn't lock her in.

Why?

She could have escaped, or ruined his unknown plans. She could have done something unfair for their fucking mission.

'_He wants to test my faith, I guess…"Escape and you're dead", uh?'_

She immediately pulled the handle back and closed the door, leaning against the wood.

He really was strange.

Mocking her, kidnapping her from Sasori and then telling her to pretend she was his wife.

And now, avoiding to lock her in, metaphorically suggesting she was free to do whatever she wanted.

'_Maybe, he is trying to trust me…'_ she vaguely thought, without even realizing it completely.

No, it was not possible.

He…trusting….her?

No way!

But the facts were undeniable: the door was unlocked and he was absent.

'_C'mon… you want to find out the truth, right? Then leave…go out!' _

But, the more she kept on repeating that, the more she felt she couldn't possibly leave that room.

Why? Now she was free! How could she feel so insecure after all he had done to her and all the tantrums she threw to keep his as far as possible from her?

She didn't know why, but she almost felt like…betraying him.

' _Hinata, you're really getting foolish…'_ She shook her head _' Betraying a traitor…'_

She sighed, then sat on bed facing the window on the opposite wall, deciding it was better for her to simply wait right there.

And, by the way, he hadn't told her yet about their fucking mission – if there really was a mission to justify his outlandish behaviour.

' _I swear, if there is not a valid reason, I…'_

"You what, _Hiromi-chan_?" a mischievous voice came from behind her as the door clicked open.

(A/N: remember Sharingan can read one's mind)

Her eyes widened in shock as Uchiha Itachi walked past her, pausing in front of the window and kneeling in front of her, caressing her chin.

"Uhmmmm…So you didn't go out, my pretty wife…" he smirked "were you waiting for me?"

Hinata just frowned, emerging from the numbness of feeling so exposed to him. He turned around, distractedly pushing away his hand with her arm.

'_Why do you react like this, why!'_ she scolded herself _'You know he could come any moment by now! And you're also perfectly aware his Sharingan can read your mind!'_

"Oh my, my…don't be so angry!" he tilted his head " I just came to pick you up, for I need your help…Weren't you curious about the famous "mission"…?" he voluntarily trailed off, trying to catch again Hinata's attention.

And he perfectly fulfilled his intentions. The girl, in fact abruptly turned around, gaining a broad smirk from him.

"Help for what?" she couldn't help but ask, standing up and walking to the window not to be forced to look at him in the eyes and admit her defeat.

"Good…" he just said, wrapping his hands around her waist just to tease her a bit – and to steal a sigh from her lips. Then, suddenly he just turned her around and picked her up, laying her body on his shoulder. She had not even enough time to struggle or reply. In fact, he just slammed the window open and jumped down, carrying her as an heavy bag.

"LET ME GO, YOU BASTARD!" she managed to blurt out as they graciously landed on the ground.

"Don't complain, my fairy….Wanna know about the mission?" he paused, looking at her in the eye with his Sharingan "We are just going to kill a man…"


	18. Things going downhill

Here we are, regular update, more or less.

Ieeehh…it's so hot today here in Italy! sighs Anyway, about the writing I'm at chapter 24, completed. I will try to work on chapter 25 pretty soon – maybe…

Bad, bad, bad mood: my series of drabbles about my favourite Bleach character is having little to no success… (cries)

Dedicated to: Yuume Li because I like her nickname and because my drabbles are in her favs list! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! (bows) and to Raito Hana, because she avoided scolding me for my short chapters...gomen, gomen...I know they are freaking short...but...inspiration leads me to that...sighs

Yumi-chan

PS: . . .do you think I'll reach the 13 reviews I need to have 200?

**Chapter 18: Things going downhill.**

Darkness had now spread all over the town.

The pale beams of the cold moon slightly filtered through the halls of the huge mansion, reflecting on the wooden floor. Hinata stood against a wall, half hidden in the dim light.

"_We are just going to kill a man…"_

After that, he had forcefully picked her up and openly humiliated her with his bastard attitude – and even if she surely wasn't a bad-mouthed girl, when it came to deal with him such words were just normal.

Ok, if she had to rely on her soothing rationality, she should have thought at least that now she knew in what exactly the mission consisted: they needed to kill a man – though she didn't know why.

The only thing she had been allowed to find out it was that, since they now were in the middle of a party – a wedding party, as far as she could distinguish, they had to pretend to be a married couple to have better access to the main room and find the poor guy they had to kill.

Who they had to murder and why, was still a secret.

Hinata sighed, glancing at her clothes.

' _I wonder if dressing like this was really part of the mission'_ she wondered, half-glaring at the short, black dress she was wearing.

Rephrase: the short, black dress she had been _forced_ to wear.

Anyway, how a sexy garment with such a deep neck-line was supposed to help her in such a situation was still a huge mystery.

Ok, maybe not very huge, given that that bastard – by the way, Uchiha Itachi – had somewhat flirted with her for the whole ceremony, rubbing against her body every now and then.

"It's just not to blow our perfect cover, _Hromi-chan_" he had said, wickedly looking at her and running a finger down her cheeks.

'_Sure, and I'm going to have a tea with Orochimaru at 5 o'clock!'_ she had thought.

But then, a low voice inside of her head had reminded her she had actually violated her every single belief joining the infamous Akatsuki organization. Or, to put the matter in Hoshigaki Kisame's words, since she "bothered a serious organization with her useless presence".

And now there she was, leaning against a wall and waiting for Itachi to give her that famous sign which should have indicated her they were ready to leave.

What sign? She didn't now. But, being Uchiha Itachi, he would probably have done something really _outstanding_.

She gave a sharp look at her surroundings. A long, dark corridor with a shiny wooden floor, some big, dim-lighted windows along one side. She walked up to one of those, leaning on the sill and distractedly looking at the pale moon sparkling in the nightly sky.

What had her role been in the whole mission?

_If _she could call it a "role". Being harassed by Itachi for at least three hours, then being sent outside the dancing-room to simulate a kidnapping and attract outside as many people as possible. After that, she had been ordered to hide and wait for him to give her some sort of signal.

And even if she was no future teller, they would positively have to literally rush through the forest not to be forced to pick a fight with the local ninjas.

' _And I don't even know where the hell he put my other clothes!'_ she glanced again at the black, sexy dress she was actually wearing _' Jumping and running in the ungodly, savage woods with…with this thing!'_

She clutched her hands on the thin fabric, making her knuckles whiten.

Suddenly, a dry, hoarse laugh resounded behind her, reverberating in the hollow corridor.

Hinata frowned.

' _Good way, to give a signal, really!'_ she mused, rather indignant. _' I knew he was psycho, but … like that!'_

Her eyes narrowed in a dangerous scowl, she abruptly turned away from the window, ready to face with a rush of rage his red, bloody, warm eyes.

"Uchiha Itachi, what the hell do you think you're doin-"

Words choked in Hinata's throat as her pale, vague irises met with a couple of icy, light-blue ones.

"Oh my god" the unknown man said, chuckling and grabbing her arm "What is a beautiful lady like you doing is such a dark and isolated place?"

Hinata just stared at him, spellbound. Who the hell that man was?

Then, something suddenly came to her mind.

' _He really is a fool, idiotic man! Does he fucking think this is a masquerade party!'_

"Stop fooling around and transform back, Uchiha Itachi!" she shouted after a few moments, violently shaking her arm to get free of his grip.

'_Idiot, stupid idiot!'_

But, as a strong, sturdy arm wrapped around her waist and suddenly slammed her against the wall on the opposite side, Hinata slowly came to understand that maybe things were way different than she imagined. Then, when his other hand slowly went to crawl up her thighs, she was definitely proved right.

Things were definitely going wrong. Very wrong.

What the hell could she do? Her body was suddenly numb and heavy, her limbs not responding to her bidding.

And the only man who could have "protected" or, at least, helped her, was now somewhere else to commit a murder. So, given the circumstances, she did the only logical thing her mind suggested.

She tried to scream.

But, as soon as she opened her mouth, a big hand went to cover it, suffocating Hinata's cry in little, senseless wails.

"Be a good girl, or…" the man roughly pulled a kunai out of his jacket and threatened Hinata's pale throat with that sharp blade "Or else I'll have to get what I want forcefully…And you have to know…" he leaned closer to whisper into Hinata's ear "I don't mind spilling your blood…"


	19. Fear

TA-DAAAAAAN!

200 REVIEWS!

I cheated a bit because I waited until I actual had them – but don't blame me, I needed them. You know, sometimes in your life you discover _things_.

The thing I discovered is that, even if I feed them my stories until they explode, my two little guardian Angels – namely, my two beta-readers for my works and best friends in my real life – would like to have one of my chapters dedicated (!).  
And so, given that they're special to me, I thought to dedicate them something just as special.

The first one I'd like to mention is **Lilya** (GO AND READ HER STORIES!)– five years next-desk to me must have really fried her brain, I suppose. You know, honey, I feel guilty eeeeeevery day for it – or maybe not? XD Eheheh! Apart from everything, you know how much I care about you and how much I love you . And sorry if I don't send you stuff enough often, but you are BUSY! GO AND WORK ON YOUR STORIES! (chuckles and kicks her to work)  
You're the best of best friends one could ever desire, lovie – Cancer-like moodiness and inability to stay awake after one o'clock excluded! Just kidding – these 200 reviews are for you!

The second one in the list (but not in my heart) is **Funny-neko** (GO ON DEVIANT ART AND SEE HER GALLERY!) – eheheheh! MY DEAR! The only one able to understand my deep idiotic side, the one who cheers up my dark days with her funny drawings and comics, the one who realizes what I can't because I can't hold a pencil to save my life…do you understand why I worship her? She's my beta-reader (number one for typos) and companion on the desolated lands of Msn Messenger after midnight and she's the only witness of my moments of PURE folly…ehm…You know HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU TOO – YOU ROCK, MON PETIT CHOU! (winks) These 200 reviews are for you too!

I'd like to quote in this dedication also **Jaime Snyder** for being the 200th reviewer!

Sorry for the everlasting dedication, but I needed it!

**Chapter 19: Fear**

That was Hell, Hinata was sure of it.

If there really was something or someone on Earth close to the place of eternal damnation, it should have been hidden in those moments.

How the hell come that she ended up pinned against a dark, soiled wall by a stranger?

Suddenly, images of a tall, long-haired, black-clothed young boy pinning her against a wall three months before or so, started playing over and over in her mind. Then, those harsh memories were replaced with others of a brown, woody trunk in the middle of a forest.

The point was, that time, the molester wasn't the merciless-but-still-somewhat-polite Uchiha Itachi.

Or rather, truth to be told, she hadn't got the slightest clue of _who _that man was.

Slender, long fingers hardly brushed against her pale skin, slipping beneath the thin fabric of her short dress, rubbing and probing her most private places.

Hinata just stared in front of her, gasping for air as, little by little, every merciless stroke of that man was destroying a small piece of her being.

'_Cry out, Hinata!'_ her inner self tried to bid her _'Cry out!'_

But her mouth was closed by a strong, harsh hand.

She struggled, she squirmed, she sank her teeth in his flesh as vigorously as she could, but every attempt to get free from that suffocating grip vas just plainly useless.

'_Use your Byakugan use your Byakugan, use your…'_

Nothing.

It was all hopeless and senseless.

"Bad girl" the boy stated, hic icy, blue eyes piercing into her as his free hand moved slowly the kunai towards her breasts, cutting away her dress and stealing from her pale skin a few drops of ruby blood. " I don't recall asking you to writhe and bite my hand, right _Hime-chan_?" he mockingly then he titled his head a little to arrange a handful of rebellious blond locks.

Hinata gasped at his sudden ministration as the tiny, black laces tied around her neck suddenly fell off, revealing her bare bosom.

Then, in that precise moment, a raging anger took in her mind the uncomfortable place previously occupied by the blind fear.

Good, she joined the Akatsuki, she learnt how to deal with the most twisted people all over the world and now she was unable to stop a simple molester. It was really something to be ashamed of.

She was allowing a complete stranger to…to…to… touch her!

But then, a sudden statement feverishly hit her mind

'_As if it was the first time…Why weren't you so angry when Uchiha Itachi did it?'_ she gasped at the crudeness of her reflection _'And he did it more than a single time, right? Could it be that you…you…?'_

Hinata's eyes opened in fear and terror as her mind refuse to further elaborate those wicked, foolish considerations. Then, a rough, hissing voice brought her to reality.

"Mmmhhh…Do you realize you're far too tempting gasping, widening your eyes and squirming?" he smiled wickedly, pressing against her his hardened self. "Maybe…." He hissed again " It's time to start it…._for real_…_Hime-chan_…"

His lustful, low tone stole another wail from Hinata's lips as a wave of terror and shame overwhelmed her being, forcing her to turn around and close her eyes.

She mentally started to count down. All she really wanted now, was to get over with it as soon as possible.

She felt him pinning both her wrists above her head.

She felt him touching her body, caressing, scratching, squeezing,

She felt him… crying out?

In…Fear? Pain?

Her eyes immediately flew open.

'_What the hell…?'_

A small, tiny river of blood was slowly dripping down the man's lips.

Hinata blinked a couple of times, her mouth hanging open in astonishment. The man coughed a couple of times, spreading small, red droplets of blood on her white casing.

'_A…sudden illness?'_

The girl frowned in disgust and immediately tried to draw back as much as the small space between her back and the wall allowed her.

"And they call me rude…" a male, known voice reverberated in the air. Hinata's orbs widened even more.

"Coughing blood on a girl's skin. Haven't you got a bit of shame?" the voice stated calmly.

'_No it's impossible… Could it be…?'_

A sole whisper escaped her lips. A unique, single word.

"I-Itachi…"


	20. Witnessing

Here we go, another chapter. I know, I could be quicker in updating, but…Yeah…you know…University stuff, chronic laziness, and so on and on and on…It's gonna be one hell of a year – starting again to study French after years of pause. T.T SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!

About the writing of this story – I reached chapter 26 and I plan to make chapter 30/31 the final one. Pheeeew! I hope I'm gonna make it. You know I have other projects! XD

Dedicated to all my old friends I can't talk to much anymore…T.T I'M SORRY!

Kawaii-Eyez & Lems in particular – you rock girls!

Kisses

Yumi-chan

**Chapter 20: Witnessing **

A sole whisper escaped her lips. A unique, single word.

"I-Itachi…"

The blood-eyed boy gave a harsh look to his surroundings, absentmindedly raising a brow to analyze the possible reaction of the man in front of him.

Hinata was literally frozen. He had come. He had come for real to…save her?

'_Dream, Hinata, dream…wouldn't you defend your possessions in the end?'_

The blond-haired man chuckled, giving an acid smirk to the black-haired girl before turning around to face his inopportune enemy.

"To attack me behind my back…" he stated in an hilarious tone "How unbecoming for a gentleman…" his deep, blue eyes were now locked in Itachi's red ones. His voice suddenly became low and cold "What the hell do you want?"

Maybe, if the noble Uchiha would have been dressed in his normal, cloud-patterned coat and would have had his scratched forehead protector on, the blond man would have deeply regretted his words and begged him to spare his useless life. But, given that Itachi was now wearing a black, elegant kimono and a dark blue, silky obi around his slender waist, the poor unlucky guy probably had no clue of _who_ he was talking to.

Itachi didn't reply, just stared at him. His arms were long his sides, the long sleeves hiding his hands.

"Very well…" the incautious boy went on, mockingly "Brave enough to attack me from behind and such a coward when it comes to deal with me face to face…"

Hinata gasped for a second. She couldn't help but thinking he had just signed his capital condemn.

Itachi was still immobile and silent.

'_Bad sign'_ Hinata trembled a little _'Bad sign…'_

"So" the blond continued "Since you are too frightened to attack me _now_…" he grabbed a couple of shuriken "I'll do the first step…"

He threw the weapons towards Itachi's figure, but, as soon as the reached the target, they just collided against the void air and then clattered against the wooden floor.

"What the h-?" but he didn't even have enough time to complain. Before his body could send him some feelings of pain, several wounds had been opened all over his skin, blood dripping and wetting his dark clothes with irregular, red-ish stains and he was pinned against a wall – _that_ wall – by a myriad of kunais apparently come out of nowhere.

Hinata was holding her breath, her lungs not daring to catch the air, fearing to sink in all that red, ruby liquid.

Itachi, on the other hand, just stared at the man, his simple clothing completely out of place compared to his gloomy, bloody gaze.

The smell of fear was almost touchable in the air, slipping under your fingers as purple velvet. A tangle of breaths – huffing, hissing, gasping was filling the dark, void space as the wooden floor was slowly turning into a lake of bloody wetness. Itachi walked up to the pinned man, his irises rotating in an enchanting whirl of red and black and finally finding the perfect balance in the form of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Her eyes widened even more. It was… it was the first time she ever assisted to _that_…

It was like being aware of the existence of something for all of your life but, when it finally comes to witness it, all your certainties shake and tremble under your feet.

As the blond man screamed out of pain, Hinata's hands helplessly moved along the wall looking for something to hold onto. She was paralyzed. Her limbs felt like icy pieces of steel and her blood running through her panicked body hurt like thousands of needles piercing through her skin.

So near and yet so far, she was witnessing to the huge power of the Tsukiyomi.

So quick and yet so long, it was all over in a blink of an eye.

As the lifeless body of that man soundly fell on the ground, Hinata's legs violently trembled and, with a painful wail, she knelt down as well, panting hard as her white orbs were blinded by all the blood splattered around.

'_Oh God…'_ her mind registered _'God, God, God….'_

Her body was sweaty, her ripped dress plainly revealing half of her bosom, but she didn't care.

He mouth was open as her lungs desperately tried to suck up in air, but the more she tried to breath, the more the air seemed to refrain her leaving Hinata on the verge of collapsing.

She clenched her fists and sensed the wood smoothly caressing her fingers as something liquid and warm was soaking her skin.

Red blending with white.

Softness and warmth.

The warmth of something ruby and sparkling under the beams of the moonlight.

The warmth of…

'_Blood?'_

Hinata's eyes widened in shock and fear.

She screamed. She screamed as loud as she could, but no word came out of her mouth.

She passed out.


	21. Falling Again

YOU THOUGHT I DIED AGAIN? YOU FOOLS!

Sorry, I was just too busy to update this story, which, actually, is on hold again – chapter 30 or 31 WILL be the last one, no matter what, but I'm stuck at chapter 26, that is. And I have more important things to concentrate on – for example, if you like Bleach and funny things, you might want to read "All you need is Love". Hai, hai, I know – I'm a review-whore, but we all knew that, right? Anyway, enjoy this – short and concentrated as usual, folks!

Dedications, dedications…let's see…**ChiakiHara**…again…because she's a faithful reader and she's just too kawaii in her reviews. It makes me happy! ;) **Riiiceballe** – because she gave me cookies in her review! XD And…**Yuume Li** – sorry if I can't read all your stories and reply to you often, but school drives me crazy. Thanks for dedicating me your stuff, imouto!

**Chapter 21: Falling again **

Cold.

Cold and fresh, as if something was brushing against her cheeks.

Hinata slowly opened her eyes, a blurry vision welcoming her pale irises. Shapeless forms and stains of colours and smells were twirling before her sight.

Cold.

Cold and hard, as if she was leaning against something.

Green.

Green foliage and branches.

How the hell did it come she was in a forest? Her head was spinning and limbs shaking, but she managed to stand up all the same. senseless memories of blood and fighting were coming to her in lumps and flashes, providing her a dazed summary of what her last two or three hours could have been.

Blood. Warmth. Blackout. What was coming next?

She looked around. No signs of life or human presences. It had been Uchiha Itachi to carry her there, there was absolutely no doubt about it. But, it was obvious, that man had a soft spot for magically disappearing and reappearing with phantom-like ability.

'_If he didn't touch me, if would really think of him as a ghost'._

Curious. How come her mind was able to the most random thoughts in the strangest moment?

She didn't know. Anyway, that surely wasn't her main concern in that moment.

Uchiha Itachi wasn't there? Good, after all she had to go through because of him, it was time to take a small revenge. And since escaping wasn't an option, Hinata wanted to make sure that, at least, he had to look for her for a while.

'_Bastard. Bloody bastard.' _

She turned around and started to head out of the small clearing, heading for nowhere in particular, but possibly far, far from him.

She turned around and stopped dead in her tracks, two red, black-stained irises wickedly staring into her own eyes.

She would have screamed, or cried out, if only she wasn't still enough confused and hazed to simply glare back and spat at him a stern "Where the hell where you?"

The irises, indeed, didn't reply but two strong, brawny hands came to her sides and pushed her backwards, making her back hit a trunk. Again.

"You are weak" Itachi simply stated as his figure emerged from the velvety darkness, his silky hair eerie gleaming under the pale moonlight "If I wasn't there, you would have been-"

"Raped?" she interrupted, angrily.

"Killed" he went on, harshly "You aren't able to take care of yourself, Fairy."

Hinata narrowed her eyes in a stern glare "It's none of your business."

"It is. You owe me" he leaned forwards, his black, long locks brushing against her ashen skin and his grip on her tightened.

"No I don't."

"Yes, you do. You owe me your life."

The girl twitched, her body shuddering in a rush of self-disgust at the mere thought. "Let go of me" she said "I'm not your property"

"No you're not" Hinata blinked, his reply catching her off guard. Itachi smirked and went on again "It would be useless to own you, my little fairy, since I can already …_ have_ you"

All came in a rush.

A rush of thoughts, a rush of feelings, a rush of dizziness. His lips were on hers, or maybe her lips were on his. His body was suddenly against her skin, pressing and pushing her against that slim trunk. Hinata was confused. Hinata was scared. Hinata didn't know why she was…collaborating?

She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him kiss her as deeply and avidly as he wanted. Every gesture, every movement was coming to her in a slow replay of life: everything was late, everything was fragmented and blurry.

His lips against her neck – again? Did he do this to her other times? Memories were spinning around her head, giving her the sensation of an endless dream where the limit with reality is so thin and elusive you can almost…forget it.

Cross it.

That trunk became every trunk, that night every night, those kisses every kiss.

His eyes went black again, his features seemed to soften and motions to get gentler and slower.

It wasn't a spell, this time, she was sure. No powerful Tsukiyomi or dreadful Genjutsu to bound her there. No brainwashes or threats.

She was there willingly. She was allowing him to…

Do what the blond Shinobi didn't manage to?

No, this time it was different. Completely different. This wasn't rape. This wasn't something she was fearing…this was…sex? Attraction? Lust ?

'_Stop him!'_ her mind urged.

A chill breeze kept on blowing on the nightly forest, shaking the foliage and sickly resounding through bushes and trees. It was dark. Darker than Hinata ever remember as she felt her resolution leaving her once again.

'_STOP HIM!'_ but that scream faded in the blurry depths of her mind.

That was the power of that man. Draining away all she could rely onto. Draining away every insecurity or doubt or….hope?

Hinata closed her eyes and gasped in air for an instant as Itachi started to leisurely suck on her neck, his teeth grazing her delicate skin.

And, when he cupped her breasts and bent his knee between her legs, she knew her last defence was definitely shattered.


	22. A fake prince for a misplaced princess

Oh gawd, this chapter is so short and I made you wait for such a long time!

Sorry, still busy.

And still stuck at chapter 26, somehow… T.T (cries) 5 chapters to go, but I can't sort them out! (screams)

Well, here you go…Dedicated to **Adamina15** for being my 245th reviewer.

Yumi-chan

**Chapter 22: A fake prince for a misplaced princess**

Between his lips on her neck and his tongue in her mouth, there barely had been the time for her to notice they were laying down on the wet grass, her already-torn dress pushed down her hips and his hands roaming all over her body.

Her head was still spinning, her thoughts racing in a tangled dance of "Why?" and "What?" while her legs were nestled all the way open, his waist pressing hard against her.

'_Oh my God!'_ her mind pulsed and shook, her hands clasped around his big shoulders, in a pitiful attempt to…

Pull him closer?

Push him back?

To try and get a hold on reality, anyway.

Everything was twirling too fast, slipping away from her frail grip and vanishing into thin air. Everything but that man's touches and strokes. Everything but Itachi's lips licking hers and trailing down her neck and shoulders and reaching her bosom and going down and down and…

Why didn't she want him to stop? Why did she feel her mind coaxing her body to accept him and invite him again to her inner core?

Once again she was weak, powerless, her numbed mind slowly crawling over the edge as the only, irrational – logical ? – word rolled down her lips.

"Love…"

Itachi's reply was nothing but a ferial growl, a low, throaty noise that sent chills down her spine, her back arching into him as a flower naturally tends to the sunbeams in a warm morning.

But how could he be her sunshine?

He was a traitor.

'_He saved me…'_

He was dirty, and evil. He killed his whole clan.

'_He didn't care to murder another man for me…'_

His only aim was to possess her for as long as this would amuse him and then throw her away.

'_He's making love to me…' _

Her half lidded eyes recognized in a black pool on the ground her discarded dress, then closed again, his hands stroking and taunting again her intimacy driving her mind far, far away from reality.

"Your cuteness is almost unbelievable….my little fairy…"

Uchiha Itachi pressed her fingers further to rip a moan from her lips before quickly pushing down her underwear and plunging into her with a swift motion. Hinata's body jerked up at the sensation, her arms absentmindedly wrapping around the back of his neck.

For a brief moment, she told herself to pretend he was a sweet lover, the kind of prince she had always desired when she was a little and innocent baby.

"I… I love you…" she breathed out, her own words making her startle and gasp.

Evidently, she found it incredibly easy to pretend.

It felt like a misplaced feeling. Thinking to be loved when she was just being merely used like a cheap slut.

And probably she wasn't very different from the so called "scarlet ladies". She had become a traitor, in the end. She had left her village and shrugged every duty impending on her shoulders.

Or maybe, is she felt like seeing it from an outlandish perspective, she was the one using him, drenching herself in his evilness just to forget the unforgettable, just to wash away with blood the depth of two blue orbs and the cheerfulness of a sincere smile.

But in the end, wasn't love a feeling where both of the parts used each other just to be used back?

With that thought firmly planted in her mind, Hinata climbed to her release and hugged him closer still. When she felt his little groan signalling his climax, she just felt like she didn't care.

In the end, Uchiha Itachi was the best she could have right now. And she had recently learned to think rationally small.


	23. Back to the starting point

And finally I UPDATED! It took me more than one month but I did it.

Gomen ne! Fact is that I need to work on other stories (request stories) – that's why I announce this story will be kept on hold until I have enough time to write more – February, probably. I'm still damn stuck at chapter 26 – which is almost done, at least.

Little twist in the tail with this chapter. Hope you like it.

Ridiculous question of the coming time: will I reach 300 reviews in your opinion?

**Dedications! MissShannell** – for reviewing so many stories in such a short time and for liking it so much! And to **Spochemu**….é.è Here…I updated…don't tear yourself to pieces, I beg of you!

Yumi-chan

**Chapter 23: Back to the starting point**

"They're coming here!" Kisame's clearly irritated voice resounded in the room just to be welcomed by an astounding silence.

It wasn't very common for some news to be greeted by the total lack of words in a place filled with the most heterogenic individuals. The background noises, usually, never stopped, it didn't matter what kind of info the unfortunate messenger was delivering.

That pretty much meant that time it had to be freaking serious. Not to mention that, evidently, if no one was asking questions, they all had to be aware of this "upcoming danger".

Hinata was sitting on her usual spot of the couch, observing the scene with discreet but careful eyes.

The feeling of being the only one left out of this "social knowledge" was hitting on her nerves, but she knew she had to shut up and wait. Eventually a bit of it all would wash over her as well.

Almost a whole month had passed since her last "mission", so to say, and she had learned that, in such a place, silence and patience were the keys to obtain everything. Even a bit of some feeling falsely resembling love from Uchiha whenever she felt like crawling into his bed at night.

If the question was if she had overcome her sense of self-disgust for laying with him, the answer was "yes". If the question was if they loved each other, she really didn't know and didn't care.

Not at the moment, at least.

However, her wisdom was promptly repaid.

"How many?" Uchiha Itachi raised his pen from his scribbled paper, shifting his gaze from the drawings to the quiet landscape out of the window.

The shark-man let out a breath when, finally, his statement seemed to be considered "Three, maybe four"

"Anbu?" the dark-haired boy went on.

"No. A couple of Chunin and a Junin. A standard retrieving team"

The Uchiha-heir seemed to fall silent for a few instants before speaking again, his hands resuming the slow drawing on the white paper.

"When?"

"48 hours. Maybe a bit more"

"We still have plenty of time" was the stern reply.

The Hyuuga girl frowned at the odd conversation.

'_So it's obvious someone is coming'_ she pondered, her pale orbs scrutinizing the faces around _'A retrieving team, he said…what for? There would be a thousand of good reasons to send such a squad after the Akatsuki…'_

There was a quick exchange of glances around as the tension seemed to raise. Then, suddenly, Hinata could feel all their eyes on her. That wasn't promising anything good.

Again, she decided to just wait.

"It's all your fault" Sasori spoke after a few seconds, lowering the book he was reading. Strangely enough, those words weren't directed to her, since the puppet-master pronounced them nodding in the direction of the window.

'_Nobody talks to the bloody Uchiha Itachi like that. This must be awfully serious'_

The boy didn't seem to catch his companion's words and just kept on leisurely dragging his pen along the white surface.

"We didn't agree in first place" Kisame backed up the Sand's mukenin, probably thinking that his better knowledge of Itachi will induce him to bless them with an answer.

And, in fact, this turned to be the case.

"They won't find us, Kisame" he replied.

"How can you be so sure, Uchiha?" Sasori spoke again, dropping the volume next to him and standing up.

"Stop being so nervous, it's useless anyway" Deidara joined the discussion "We're safe here"

"I'm not nervous, just plainly annoyed. And tired to follow the whims of Uchiha"

This last statement threw again the room in the most complete silence.

Hinata gaped. The matter was more freaking important than she ever thought if it caused them to act like that.

"I said they won't find us. This place is hidden by several shields of genjutsu, we all know that" Itachi replied as if the last part of the previous speech had just reached his ears with some minutes of delay.

"I don't care" the puppet-master continued, completely unaffected by the other's late responses "I just don't want to be chased over your worthless slut"

This time it was clear.

She was somehow involved in the matter and the really-nice-for-his-standards nickname – she had heard much worse from those wooden lips, lately – Sasori had just used was pointing it out plainly.

However it took Hinata a couple of seconds before she could link everything together.

They were talking about her and…

A retrieving squad…

Her eyes widened in fear at the sudden realization

'_Oh gawd, they found me!'_

Everything else disappeared from her world, and she didn't care about Uchiha Itachi defending her again, or Deidara trying to hold Sasori back.

She just sat there, her mouth wide open as her heart was being squeezed so heart to miss a beat.

She couldn't help but thinking she had run so far just to fall back from where she had started.


	24. Waiting

I wasn't planning on update this "soon" – yeah, yeah, I know, I know…Two months already, but I was planning to update in MAY….however, I discovered one of my new mates at Uni is a fan here on YOU DESERVE THIS UPDATE! huggles Thank you for your compliments. Oh and there IS a ItaSaku, but it's really too … ehm…dark. One of my first stories ever, though, it's not that good. ;P

THANK YOU, this is for you!

Yumi-chan

Chapter 24: Waiting.

When they said that, if you're dipped in shit you can't sunk lower than that, they were just telling a bunch of lies. You just needed a shovel and you could always start to scoop in the reeking soil and go downwards still, possibly reaching the level of misery where you realize all you're digging is your own grave.

That was all Hinata wanted to do.

To grab a shovel and dig her own grave, then bury herself in.

If someone was thinking she was actually regretting her choice to become a missing nin, however, he was greatly wrong.

In fact, if there was something the Hyuuga heiress was deeply scolding herself for, was her chronic insecurity.

And, obviously, her tendency to rely onto the idea of "facing one thing at a time".

Didn't she know every village sends retrieving Squads after their missing nins?

Wasn't she aware of being member of a noble family and, if only for this reason Konoha was going to do miracles to take her back? Or did she think they'd have a party over her disappearance?

She slammed her fist on the table and turned towards the window.

Great deal, really.

Discovering – or better, re-discovering – after nearly four months that she had been denying such an evidence and, eventually, said evidence was now slamming back into her face, like a bucket of icy water.

The Hokage was sending someone to take her back.

'_I wonder who she sent…'_ Hinata mused _'Maybe Neji-nii-san…or…Sakura…'_

As if a name would matter somewhat more than another.

They were now all strange and friendly at the same time to her. Like meeting your nanny when you're an adult. Something slightly dear, but still clearly buried in the depths of your own past.

So, whoever had been instructed to lead the poor, lost lady to her rightful home, it didn't make much difference to her, in the end. And she didn't see why it should.

_If_ their mission was effectively to take her back.

They wanted to kill Uchiha Itachi, so why should they make an exception for her? Well, she didn't wipe off her own clan, that was true. But she had recently come to the conclusion it had been all a matter of bad timing.

A couple of days more in that house and probably some blood would have been spilled inside of the Hyuuga mansion as well – maybe her own.

She had grown stronger, right.

But still, she had the sensation she would have been no match for her father.

At least not four months before.

Things seemed to be slightly different, lately, though,

She definitely felt more powerful. Maybe it was the situation, maybe some of newly-found self-confidence, or simply the might that seemed to come in waves from Uchiha Itachi, but she was brought to think she could now handle her life better.

If only she wasn't still so insecure, that was.

'_That would definitely shut them up on my permanence here. In the end, I've been accepted, right? It's not their business, after all.'_

Hinata's mind went back to that morning's conversation.

Hoshigaki coming in like a fury to announce that "great piece of news", then the acid "quarrel" between Itachi and Sasori.

She couldn't see why they were so worried.

Weren't they part of the great Akatsuki, a bunch of heartless criminals, bloody murderers, odd personalities and owners of an ego able to occupy half of the Fire Country and maybe more?

There was no way for a small retrieving squad to hold them down.

Whoever was sent, he – or she – was just doomed to die a painful death, proving those blood-seekers some nice show. The thought of her former friends ending up like that slightly touched Hinata, making her face contort in a mask of disgust.

'_That's what they want. They don't mess up, they don't die'_ she firmly cut herself off.

Even if she was aware she was plainly lying to herself. How could she expect some ninja to just give up and run ?

There was no way.

'_But maybe…just maybe…they won't even find me. And they'll escape. And live…and forget about me, forever…'_

The lady sighed, glancing outside to see the shining sun of the late afternoon bathing the landscape in beams of red and orange light.

Her mind was now filled with her sudden and useless concerns, her features curled in expressions of uncertainty and, to a certain extent, pain.

After some long minutes, she eventually shook her off those nasty thoughts.

It wasn't directly her problem and, in any case, she couldn't do anything _right now_.

And there she was, sinning again the bad sin of procrastination.

Why delaying something that could have done today?

Because she had no other choice. Or because it was like her. Or because she couldn't bring herself to be bothered by others concerns and worries. Hadn't she been caring about everything for her entire life?

All the tearing thoughts of that morning, all her fears, conjectures, all her imagining was now washing over her.

Vain words vainly spent for a vain problem.

All seemed distant, now, farther and farther, beyond the tiny line of her caring and worry.

She abruptly stood up and moved to the private chambers of the hideout.

She would sleep in Itachi's bed, tonight.

She needed warmth, after all.


	25. One New Question

Ohhh…I thought I'd never update…

And here I am…ehehehe. Luckily for you, just chapters 28/29/30 to write and the story's over. So, even given my other things to write and my awful lack of time, by the end of the year, everything will be over (chuckles)

**Dedicated to: Sasina** – because her reviews was so…well, special. It really made me feel good and to **AB Firestar** – 8 reviews in a sole day, wow! (bows) Arigatou Gozaimasu!

(Bear with me, I'm studying Japanese for my Uni exam…)

Yumi

**Chapter 25: One new question**

It was funny actually how things were organized in the Akatsuki hideout.

After Sasori's protests were silenced by the evidence that, even if he blamed it on every freaking person in the world, the fact a Squad of Konoha's Ninjas was coming closer and closer to them, the preparations for the counterattack started.

_If_ they could be called preparations, obviously.

The "how-to-send-back-to-hell-those-stupid-assholes-from-the-Leaf" training, in fact, merely consisted in deciding who was to pick up that uncomfortable task and waste a bit of his supreme powers to get rid of three insignificant mosquitoes.

Hinata couldn't help but feel a bit irritated about that attitude. In the end, it was her village and, even if she was now a traitor – and she had to actually repeat it to herself a thousand of times every day to firmly grasp that reality – she still had some sort of…respect towards the place that brought her up.

Anyway, after a few days of yells and various insults and air so thick and drenched in tension you could feel electricity run through it, the matter was simply dismissed with a seraphic "Uchiha wanted her, so Uchiha has to deal with her problems".

Fair enough, she had thought, at least she didn't have to hear Sasori anymore. Hopefully.

On the other hand, Uchiha Itachi didn't have much of a reaction to the news. Truth to be told, he didn't react at all, as usual.  
The former Hyuuga heiress supposed that, in the end, it didn't make any difference to him if he spent his day staring out of a window, or completing missions or effortlessly crushing three Shinobi, so why should he bother?

He didn't bother when he wiped out his own clan in a sole night, so there was no way in Hell he should do it for such a trivial thing.

'_I bet he didn't even flinch when he knew Sasuke-kun betrayed the village as well…'_

But…did he really know it? Of course he did. Uchiha Itachi was a bit like those cheap fortune-tellers on TV, he always knew everything about everyone – and probably it was also due to the fact that, apart from the sporadic missions and training, he didn't have much to do in the hideout, since the occasional chores were carried out by Deidara and, recently, by herself as well.

If it depended on the (majority) of male components around there, they would be sailing and drowning in dust and trash.

In any case, even if Itachi knew about his brother's betrayal, was he aware…of the consequences?

Or better, had he been informed on the ending of the story?

He probably didn't. No one did, as far as she remembered, the whole thing had been kept totally secret and just a bunch of people in Konoha had been allowed to be part of that.

She had been one of those, mostly because she had heard the whole matter from her dear Naruto, just a few months before he got murdered. Maybe his death could even be related to this now that she thought about it but…it was the past, no use to dwell into it.

And no need to go and bother Itachi about that, either. Even if…

'_Even if nothing!'_

But she felt curious. Even if she had heard many and many times that "curiosity killed the cat", she couldn't help but wonder and soon her mind got filled with so many questions she felt as if it could explode any minute.

A simple, unconscious musing had caused such a riot within her soul.

Why did he spare Sasuke?

Does he really know what happened after his betrayal?

Did he even think about that?

So many question marks and she not even a single answer to them to be read beyond his eyes, or in his rare words or his aloof attitude.

Hinata wanted to ask him

Hinata _needed_ to ask him.

But how? She couldn't just pop there and go like "Itachi, why did you kill everyone except for Sasuke? Oh, and by the way, do you know that after he left to join Orochimaru…"

He would have killed her on the spot and he would probably be even right in doing so.

She needed the calm and rational approach. She needed to work her way into his mood and his aloofness. She had quite learned how to in these past months.

That's why, on a dark and rainy night, she slipped once again into his rooms.


	26. Siblings

Believe it or not…I'm still alive! Yeah, three months of silence…but you see, depression's a bitch. I hope some of your reviews will make me feel better. Actually working on chapter 28 (of 30, I suppose) of this story. Hope I'll make it for Christmas.

Thank you!

Yumi

**Chapter 26: Siblings**

"You're nervous, tonight"

Uchiha Itachi slowly moved his gaze on the pale figure laying on his bed, carefully watching as she casually brushed a lock of black hair off her forehead.

"No, I'm not nervous. Just…tired" the girl cut him off firmly, or at least she thought so.

"Are too, I can tell. Don't play dumb with me, little fairy…"

"I'm not playing dumb"

"Are too"

"I'm no-"

Hinata sighed and shut her mouth before finishing the sentence. There was no point in that, they would just go on and on like that and she would lose her temper and tell him to go straight to Hell. And that was the last thing she needed, if she really wanted to get rid of all of those noisy and annoying questions which were recently bugging her.

She rolled over on her side and casually smothered her black cotton-made vest.

"I…just wanted to talk to you" she spurted out after a little while.

The man didn't seem to catch her words, because he just kept of staring right in her direction.

"You are already talking to me…" he eventually replied, his hand tracing its way up her pale thighs.  
Hinata reached out and grabbed it firmly.

'_Goddamned blackmailer'_

"You know what I meant"

Uchiha Itachi glanced at her slightly angry face with an amused smile "What's left there to talk about? Are you worried about your companions coming to…so to say "fetch" you?"

'_No, I'm worried about you being a selfish and mocking bastard'_

If only she could voice out her thoughts…but she needed to play smart. Play smart and make him confess.

"No, not about that"

"About what, then?"

"About your brother"

The silence fell between them, making Hinata feel even less comfortable. Maybe she had said something wrong. Maybe this time she had finally managed to royally piss him off to the point he was just about to turn around and shoot his best Tsukiyomi to kill her on the spot.

And – just maybe – she even felt she'd truly deserve all of it.

After a few, painful seconds, however, Uchiha Itachi did indeed turn around – but no lethal technique was in display. Just his usual cold, black eyes.

"There's nothing to say about him" the boy said in his collected tone "He's a past event to me"

"Past event? He's your brother, there's no way he could be something…said and done, to you"

He seemed to be pondering a bit – he wasn't…moved or shaken by her words – and she didn't even quite expect it – but it looked like, at least, she had managed to make him think about something.

"That's exactly how things are – he's to me what's your sister is to you. And you surely are not crying over her absence. You even forgot about her existence"

That was a mean one.

A really mean one.

Hyuuga Hinata just speechlessly stared at him for a few seconds, frowning deeply. He had hit the right spot in one go. As much as she loved and cherished her baby sister, now, after…months – she was even starting to lose track of how many – spent in the Akatsuki Organization, all was left of Hanabi was a dull, fading memory of the two of them picking flowers in their house's backyard.

Not much – definitely not much.

"But it's still different" she rolled over, on her stomach, and looked up at him, frowning.

"It's not"

"Is too, I didn't kill my own parents and family in front of my sister!"

Shit. There, she said it. She snapped and probably said the only thing she shouldn't have said in front of _him_, in _such_ a moment. She had already risked death less that one minute before and there she was, practically begging for him to painfully kill her.

'_Great, good job'_

Uchiha Itachi just stared ahead for a moment, then, with all the slowness the situation required, he moved his black irises onto her naked body, one of his slim hands tracing up the curve of her waist.

"You should understand one thing, little fairy" his voice was soft, almost reassuring "You're just…_one step_ away from where I am – a murderer, that is" he brushed her hair back from her face "Your _friends _are coming here, you know. And we decided _you_ will have to _deal _with them personally"

Hyuuga Hinata gasped as the reality suddenly hit her.


	27. Leftovers of me

Oh, gosh...here we go, finally I update...! (nod, nod)

I'm finally almost done with this story - halfway through chapter 29! Yay! Hopefully it will be done and published by March/April!

Let me know what you think and please...will you make me reach 300 reviews? A record! Oh, well...many kisses!

Yumi

Dedicated to: all my reviewers...will you forgive me for being soooo slow when I update? Pretty please!

**Chapter 27: Leftovers of me**

Hyuuga Hinata had studied so much about ambushing back when she was in the Academy.

She had learned the tactics, she had learned how to disguise and how to understand what was the most favourable moment for the attack. She had studied so much, she had learned so much, she had passed the oral exams with flying colours.

But still she wasn't ready to set a trap for her own former friends.

Even if compared to the others, she was still a newbie in the _club_, the noble heiress had the feeling she_ knew_ who had had the idea of letting her and her alone take care of the damn situation.

'_The holy prince Sasori, of course! Who else?'_

Hinata could almost hear him insisting for her to finally get a "bloody baptize", since her hands were virgins – maybe the only part of her which still was, living in such a place – to mass murdering, gratuitous cruelty and all those nice, little things they all had acquired.

Everyone else had agreed it was a good choice, Uchiha had shut up to demonstrate she could make it and he wasn't keeping her here just because she was a nice thing to screw at night, while Hoshigaki had simply laughed, and laughed and laughed.

"You'll make it with a BANG!" poor Deidara had commented, ruffling her hair a little "Show those chauvinists you can kick their ass whenever you want"

Yeah, sure. Kick their ass. And kill the people she had been raised up with.

While she was waiting, hiding in the high bushes surrounding the clear where they were supposed to arrive, faraway memories of the past had started washing over Hinata.

Laughter, little jokes, her former mates protecting her and…

Did she still need protection? Was she still so weak?

Every step she had taken in her life had always been because someone had defended her. She was the kind one, she was the caring one – she was the little flower needing to be _preserved_.

It was such a bad term – what was her usefulness as a ninja, if she needed to be _preserved_?

Was she going to stay at home and raise her babies? Was it all she was meant for?

A sad, ironical smile flashed on her concentrated face – how curious. If only her family would know she was … "dating" a noble and strong Shinobi such as Uchiha Itachi.

The Uchiha and the Hyuuga combined… such a good bloodline to create.

Geez. She was thinking in such a cold way…it wasn't like her. It wasn't like her at all.

But nothing of _her_ was left there to lose anymore.

Fair enough – she had sought it and now she had it. Collected and aloof. Feeling hurt and she had shut them out of her life.

'_Forever…'_

A dog barked far in the distance.

'_A-Akamaru…'_

She gasped as breath got caught in her throat.


End file.
